Rivers State in the Eye of Political Storm: The “Conditions” Imposed on Governor Fubara Raise Alarming Questions About Democracy

 ⚖️ Rivers State in the Eye of Political Storm: The “Conditions” Imposed on Governor Fubara Raise Alarming Questions About Democracy


By Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond
For Global Egberi Media International

PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA (July 2025) — As Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenges of building a sustainable democratic culture, fresh revelations out of Rivers State have sent shockwaves across the political spectrum. A purported list of conditions allegedly imposed on Governor Siminalayi Fubara by his predecessor and political benefactor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has ignited heated debates over the true state of democracy in the oil-rich South-South state.

According to multiple insider sources and public discourse making rounds online and offline, the embattled Governor Fubara has been presented with a four-point ultimatum in order to maintain relative peace with the political forces loyal to Chief Wike, who currently serves as Nigeria's Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

📜 The Controversial “Conditions”

  1. No Second Term Ambition
    Governor Fubara, who assumed office in 2023, has allegedly been asked to drop all ambition to run for a second term. If this condition is true, it would strip the incumbent of a fundamental democratic right — the right to seek re-election through the ballot.

  2. Wike to Nominate LG Poll Candidates
    In what many describe as a direct affront to internal party democracy, it is reported that Wike reserves exclusive rights to nominate all chairmen and councillors in the upcoming local government elections. This effectively sidelines the governor from the democratic process at the grassroots level.

  3. Purge of Fubara’s Loyalists
    Another condition demands that Governor Fubara remove all commissioners and aides who are perceived as disloyal to Wike. This points to a scenario where political allegiance — not competence — becomes the standard for holding public office.

  4. Payment of allowances to Suspended Lawmakers
    The Governor is also allegedly required to settle all allowances and entitlements of the 25 suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, most of whom are staunchly loyal to Wike. This raises ethical questions about the purpose and use of state funds — whether it is for governance or appeasement.

🗣️ Democracy or Modern-Day State Capture?

These revelations, if true, paint a deeply disturbing picture of what analysts are now calling “state capture” in broad daylight — where a single individual or cabal holds disproportionate influence over the levers of government.

Governance watchers argue that these conditions represent a systematic erosion of democracy, where an elected leader is reduced to a ceremonial figure under the shadow of a political godfather. If political office is to be dictated behind closed doors and democratic institutions turned into tools of loyalty rather than service, what then remains of the social contract between the people and their leaders?

🚨 The Danger of Godfatherism

What is unfolding in Rivers State is not merely a political crisis — it is a cautionary tale of the dangerous trend of godfatherism, where democratic mandates are subverted by political overlords pulling strings behind the scenes. This culture breeds weak institutions, political instability, and public disenchantment.

A government that must negotiate its survival through silence and surrender cannot deliver good governance to its people. At the core of democracy is the freedom to govern based on the will of the people, not the whims of powerful benefactors.

📣 Citizens Call for Seriousness

Nigerians across social media have been asking hard questions:

  • Is this how democracy is supposed to work?

  • Can a state be hijacked by one man's interest?

  • Why is the constitution silent on internal party dictatorship?

  • Will the national leadership of the ruling party intervene, or will they remain complicit through inaction?

Unless Nigeria addresses this growing cancer of autocracy disguised as mentorship, the nation risks eroding the very fabric of democratic accountability.

🛡️ The Road Ahead

Governor Fubara is at a historic crossroads — between upholding the sanctity of democratic leadership or yielding to pressures that may define him as merely a placeholder. The Nigerian electorate is watching, and history will remember.

In a time when Nigerians are yearning for transformational leadership, this saga reminds us that true democracy is not merely in elections, but in governance that reflects the will of the people — not the interests of a few.

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