By Chuks Ododo
The political crisis currently unfolding in Rivers State between former Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the sitting Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is neither sudden nor unique. It is part of a long-standing political pattern that dates back to the early 1990s and has steadily shaped the culture of power, succession, and governance in the state.
To understand today’s tension, one must return to the era of Governor Rufus Ada George under the NRC in the early 1990s. His deputy at the time was Peter Odili. When Odili later became Governor in 1999, the relationship between the men had already broken down. That marked the beginning of a troubling cycle where political godfathers and their successors became rivals rather than partners.
During Odili’s years, Rotimi Amaechi rose through the ranks, first as a close aide when Odili was deputy governor and later as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years. When Odili completed his tenure, power was handed to Amaechi’s cousin, Celestine Omehia. Amaechi later reclaimed the governorship through the courts. Once in office, his relationship with Odili, his former political benefactor, became strained and hostile.
The pattern repeated itself yet again. During Amaechi’s administration, Nyesom Wike served as Chief of Staff before becoming Minister of State for Education. When Wike returned to contest the governorship in 2015, he won and governed for eight years. Throughout Wike’s tenure, relations with his former boss, Amaechi, were openly adversarial.
In 2023, Siminalayi Fubara emerged as governor. He had worked closely with Wike as Accountant General of the state and was widely seen as his trusted ally. Less than a year into office, their relationship collapsed, descending into open political warfare. Today, both men are locked in one of the fiercest power struggles the state has witnessed.
For observers unfamiliar with Rivers State’s political history, it is easy to frame this as a story of ingratitude or personal betrayal. However, this interpretation misses the deeper issue. What Rivers State is experiencing is not simply a failure of loyalty but the consequence of a flawed political foundation that has gone unaddressed for decades.
The state’s politics has been built around godfatherism, excessive control of successors, and the belief that political loyalty must override institutional independence. Once a successor assumes office, the reality of power, responsibility, and public accountability inevitably clashes with the expectations of the political benefactor. The result is almost always conflict.
This trajectory raises serious questions about the future. Even if Governor Fubara secures a second term, history suggests that his eventual successor may also rebel. Likewise, if Wike succeeds in installing another governor in 2027, there is no assurance that such a successor will remain loyal. The cycle has proven consistent across generations of leadership.
What should stakeholders watch out for? Prolonged political instability, weakened institutions, stalled development projects, and a growing culture of governance by confrontation rather than policy. When political energy is consumed by internal battles, citizens pay the price through insecurity, economic stagnation, and loss of public trust.
The long-term implications are even more concerning. Toxic succession politics discourages competent leaders, normalises political vendettas, and erodes democratic values. It also shifts focus away from governance to survival, making development secondary to power struggles.
Rivers State stands at a crossroads. Breaking this cycle requires deliberate effort by political leaders, elders, and institutions to redefine succession politics. Power must be anchored in institutions, not personalities. Mentorship should prepare successors for independence, not lifelong obedience. Political loyalty must give way to constitutional responsibility.
Until the foundation is addressed, Rivers State will continue to relive the same conflicts under different names. The lesson from history is clear. The problem is not who governs, but how power is transferred and controlled. Without reform, the dangerous trajectory will persist, to the detriment of the state and its people. And during the eight years of Amaechi as a Governor, he was not in a good relationship with his cousin Celestine Omehia, who was the Governor briefly after the tenure of Peter Odili.
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