By Ismail Omipidan
We play too much in this country. We trivialise serious issues and, at the same time, elevate trivial matters to ridiculous levels of seriousness. Nothing illustrates this better than the twin issues of the recent Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) conference held in Enugu and the just-concluded local council election in Rivers State. Since the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is also a lawyer, I will return to the NBA issue later and, for now, focus on the Rivers matter.
Make no mistake: I do not support political violence. But at the same time, I will not support or promote the mockery of our democratic experiment on the altar of politics. Perhaps if those pushing the narrative that the APC defeated Wike in Rivers had not disturbed my restful Sunday, I would have ignored it. If they had at least written that “Wike defeats Wike in Rivers,” I might have saved my energy for another matter. But since they chose to insult our collective sensibilities, it is only proper to let them know how e de go!
Who actually participated in the exercise, and from which camp of the divide did they come? The earliest reports I read indicated that the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his loyalists stayed away from the exercise. If those reports are true, it means Wike contested against Wike. And if Wike contested against Wike, we must stop making it look as though a miracle happened in Rivers last Saturday. If the real PDP in Rivers had squared up with the real APC in Rivers, the result would certainly have been different. But as far as the last Saturday’s election is concerned, the truth is straightforward: Wike defeated Wike. QED.
For me, I acknowledge the commendable work Wike has been doing as FCT Minister since assuming office. His leadership so far has been promising, and my prayer is that he finishes strong and well. However, the optics from Rivers are troubling. I only hope they do not leave a permanent dent on the country’s democratic credentials.
The norm, though not a written rule, across the country is that any government in power at the state level usually sweeps council elections conducted under its watch. With what played out in Rivers, are we now to assume that the Sole Administrator belongs to the APC? Well, your guess is as good as mine.
