It is no longer news that the APC government has prided itself in the politics of state capture as the race for the 2027 electoral circle beckons.
This is even more so just as those Donald Trump supporters in the States, I mean the white supremacists, the white evangelicals, and same supporters of the institutional slavery and slave trade, the Jim Crow supporters, would continue in their state capture politics in the States, their counterparts here in Nigeria, would continue to support the APC government despite the poor governance system and policies, yet they are being supported by the money bags and their political jobbers from across different party lines, without consideration for the harsh economic issues in the country.
But let me start by saying as a form of preview and for the records that, contrary to old geographical expression by which the country was initially divided in the regional platform of North, East and West during the first republic, the actual expressions should have been North, South, East and West as a reflection of the four cardinal points in geography right from the beginning at the time of Independence in October 1960.
Therefore, the North, East and West nomenclature that was foisted on the country was totally wrong and misleading. After all, we have had cases when in Germany they had East and West Germany, and as well as North and South Carolina in the States.
But be that as it may, despite the agitation by the minority tribes in the North for a separate middle belt region, their request and demands were not granted. On the other hand, those in the old Eastern Region like Rivers and Cross River were forcefully subsumed into the majority Igbos, while the present Delta and Edo states (Mid-West region then) which were under the old Western region, are allowed to have their own separate region in about June 1963 prior to the nation’s Republican status.
However, it’s pertinent to know for purposes of historical perspective of the states that make up the South-South geopolitical zones or region. The Niger Delta region as it’s also known, is made up six (6) states namely Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta states (the BRACED states). Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states were part of the old Eastern region before the outbreak of the civil war in 1967. On the other hand, both Delta and Edo states were renamed from the old Mid-West region, having been separately created from the old Western region in 1963, though during the time of civil war it was renamed Mid-West state.
Consequently, for the pacification of the southern minorities on one hand, and for the avoidance of domination amongst the majority tribes, and particularly to checkmate the influence of Odumegwu Ojukwu on the other hand, on May 5 1967, Rivers and Cross River states were created out of the old Eastern region in addition to the other newly created states totalling twelve (12) of which Mid-West state was one, by the head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.
As at today, the old Rivers State have had Bayelsa created from it, while Mid-West (later Bendel state) was also divided into Delta and Edo states, and the old Cross River was also divided into Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, totalling six states in all.
However, before we get to know how these states had fared in the political equation and calculation in Nigeria, it’s noteworthy to mention a few of the political parties that played major roles in the nation’s democratic governance prior to and during the time of our Independence in October 1960.
In this regard, without going into details, it’s good to know that we had the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons, the NCNC which was formed in 1944, and chaired by Herbert Macaulay, and had Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as secretary general, The Northern People’s Congress, NPC founded in 1949, and chaired by Sir Ahmadu Bello. The Action Group, founded in 1951, and chaired by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and had Chief Anthony Enahoro as secretary general. Again, there was also a party known or called the Democratic Party of Nigeria and the Cameroons, DPNC founded in 1958, and chaired by Tobi Izedonmi with the sole aim of challenging the domination of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in the NCNC. This is not to say that there were no other parties though, but just to mention a few. It’s also good to know that at the outbreak of the political crises in the country, all the political parties were dissolved in 1966.
However, it is expedient to recall that with the exception of large number of the Mid-West which aligned itself with the Western region in the nation’s democratic setting (that’s AG, which acted as the main opposition party), the old Rivers and Cross River states aligned themselves with the mainstream dominant northern setting at the federal level. This is more so, as even after the end of the civil war in 1970, and during the second republic from 1979 to 1983, Rivers and Cross River states were with the mainstream northern dominated National Party of Nigeria, NPN during the Alhaji Shehu Shagari presidency, while Bendel (Delta and Edo states) were in alignment with the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN headed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, between 1979 and 1983.
Furthermore, during the of the fourth (4th) republic from 1990 to date, though there were several political parties in the country, however, the People’s Democratic Party, the PDP has been the dominant party not until in 2015 through manipulation and deceit that the All-Progressive Congress, APC assumed power at the federal level. And so, just as any other party, the APC government has been trying to grab parts of the states in the region as the state capture policy drive.
This is more so as the Niger Delta region (South-South) is the oil and gas hub and the petro-dollar power house in the country with huge chunk of the nation’s foreign reserve coming from there. Hence the hot urge and quest for the state capture in the states of the region.
It will be recalled that that the APC government at the federal level had lured over among others, Cross River, a former stronghold of the PDP through it’s former governor, Prof Ben Ayade who defected from PDP to the APC. Again, they tried to do same in Akwa Ibom State through former, Senator God’swill Akpabio who became Minister and later Senate President. Recall also that these states were PDP, but for personal considerations, hence their defection as juicy appointments are earmarked for them.
However, despite the desperation to capture Akwa Ibom State, the PDP still triumphed over the APC in the state during the 2023 elections. In Delta State, the APC again tried to capture the state to the extent that the position of a Deputy Senate Presidency (Senator Ovie Omo-Agege) was used as a bait, but the people broke their duck on the side of the PDP. On the other hand, in Edo State, it’s no longer news on how the baton changed hands, from the APC to the PDP, and later to the APC, even as the two main parties in the state have had to change from one to the other, and vice versa. But now, the APC has won it back.
In the case of Bayelsa state, the PDP has been the ruling party over the years even though in several occasions, the APC tried to capture it, and if not for the mistake of the APC candidate that prompted Senator Duoye Diri of the PDP, just after another PDP governor, it would have been very tough.
In all these cases, especially in the Niger Delta region, the fact still remains that it’s either PDP politicians are crossing over to APC and vice versa, all for their personal considerations and not for the good of the people whom they profess to represent.
Meanwhile, in the case of Rivers state, the gerrymandering has become even more pronounced and so taken a higher dimension, as politicians over the last twelve (12) years or so, have vowed to unleash mayhem not only on their political opponents, but on both benefactors and beneficiaries alike (predecessors and successors), and on the entire citizenry in the state. Recall that the state had been under the PDP since the inception of the 4th republic in 1999 to date.
However, due to the usual personal considerations as it has always been, former governors have become baits in the hands of the APC and PDP as two former governors, Rt Hon. Rotimi Amechi was lured to the APC with juicy ministerial appointments for his good works. Thereafter, he fell out with his successor, Barr Nyesom Wike who ruled the state (as Emperor) for eight years.
In the meantime, just in the twilight of his political career after being local government chairman, chief of staff, minister of state, acting minister, and executive governor, the Chief decided to embroider his career by being a member of his party (the PDP), and at the same time working for an opposition party (APC) as alleged, in the state and at the federal level, all in the quest for the state capture by the APC. And so, while he was under his own party as governor, he was working assiduously against it, hence his compensation for the good works as minister at the federal level, FCT Minister by the APC.
As it stands now, the Minister is in a fierce battle with his successor, Sim Fubara in collaboration with his group members, the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who are said to have defected from PDP to the APC in a situation that seems to them as comic relief, but has now dawned on them as real, as their seats should have been declared vacant as by the interpretation of the constitution that, if any member or members of the state house of assembly, who defects (decamps) to another party without seeming division or merger in the party under which they are elected, but move or defect to another party, their seats become vacant, and thus they are no longer members of the house, with particular reference to section 109 (1) subsections (a) and (g) as the reality stare in their faces right now.
However, in the face of this, the leader of the group, Barr Nyesom Wike and the 27 decampees are still in illusion as they bask in the euphoria to believe that they are on the winning side, as the judicial arm of government is said to have dished out several and contrasting judgements concerning their deceptive belief and as well as the state affairs in the camp of the mainstream APC.
Another dimension and pointer to the politics of state capture is the fact that in every states in the country, any of the ruling parties would want to capture or win at least a hundred percent for both chairmanship and councillorship elections, just as government at both federal and states would want to induce other branches or arms of government, like the judiciary, legislature, the electoral umpire, INEC, and the security agencies as lots of carrots are being used as inducements to perform.
That’s why the ruling party, APC government, is not and wouldn’t be leaving any stone unturned either in embarking on full scale state capture outreaches, as all eyes and hands are on deck and ready for the next electoral cycle in 2027. Which is why Nigerians are worried that they may turn the country into a “one-party-state”. This is the reason why the main political parties in the country are currently enmeshed in different levels of internal crisis, as a mark of desperation.
Meanwhile, as far as the eye can see and the ear can hear, what is crystally clear is the fact that as we prepare for the 2027 democratic dispensation, it seems the APC government is desperately fighting to capture the states in the South-South region as their foot soldiers like the FCT Minister and his group wouldn’t want to lose sleep in Rivers State, so also are the governors of Cross River, Obong Bassey Otu and his counterpart in Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo who’s just been elected as governor, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole and their supporters have succeeded.
In conclusion, as it stands right now, no one can tell or know the direction and the way the pendulum will be swinging in favour in the South-South and even other parts of the country as all the active political parties, PDP, APC, Labour, NNPP, SDP, APP, etc just to mention but a few are determined to capture the states and the center, while we pray for the peace and unity in the land.
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