Anchor of ARISE News Morning Show, Rufai Oseni, has said the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has become the dominant force in Rivers State politics.
Oseni made the remarks on Thursday while reacting to the withdrawal of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primary election.
Speaking during the television program, Oseni described the political situation in Rivers State as “a shame on democracy,” alleging that one individual now exerts influence across multiple political parties.
According to him, recent developments have further exposed the reasons behind Wike’s decision to support Fubara’s emergence as governor in 2023.
He also criticized Fubara’s move to the APC, saying the governor failed to achieve the political consolidation he may have expected.
The broadcaster maintained that Wike now appears capable of controlling political structures across party lines and could eventually determine who emerges as the next governor of Rivers State.
Oseni, however, questioned how sustainable such political dominance would be, warning that allowing one individual to wield overwhelming influence could threaten democratic development.
“As regards Rivers, what do I say? It’s a shame on our democracy. Rivers has become two-factor authentication. A man has the right of collaboration; two political parties joined together, and the man feels like he’s God today,” Oseni said.
“Anyway, for Fubara, you have now seen the reason why he picked Fubara. All that has transpired with Fubara is the same reason why we can pick Fubara.
“If you expect me to come and explain it to you, I will not do that, because the Yorubas have been saying that it is with parables that they beat their ‘gidigbo’ drum. It is those that have sense that will understand it, and it has shown what Fubara is all about.”
Oseni further mocked Fubara’s move to the APC, saying, “You quickly went to join the APC; you couldn’t get consolidation there. So look at you today. Now they’ve brought Chinda, but let us also watch.
“Are we going to have another battle royal between Wike and Chinda? Will Wike be able to hold Chinda’s hands and keep it properly?”
He added that Wike’s influence in Rivers politics has become increasingly visible.
“Because what we are seeing increasingly is that Wike has dominated Rivers politics, take it or leave it. He’s becoming the de facto god of Rivers politics, or if not the… I don’t need to use the word “de facto”; he’s become the god if he can control two political parties and everybody is moving with him,” he stated.
Oseni said the next political battle in Rivers State would reveal whether Wike can maintain such control over the state’s political structure.
“So we’ll see. Whatever pans out, Wike will be the one to produce the next governor. But how sustainable will this hegemony be? That’s going to be the true test of our democracy,” he added.
“We can keep deceiving ourselves and think it’s a good thing, but it’s not a good thing for our democracy that one man takes it all, because we have seen what happened in Lagos.
“Lagos might soon become Rivers, if this is allowed to continue, and that’s why we should tell ourselves the hard truth at every point in time.”
