By Bashir Ashura
Like Tinubu, like Abdulrazaq, and so many others cut from the same cloth. For how long are we going to let these hypocrites keep running the show, trampling on the very principles they claim to uphold? We raise our voices in outrage when Mr. President suspend a governor who was duly elected by the people. But let’s not pretend the hypocrisy ends there. Shouldn’t we also no that no governor has any business “Right” suspending local government officials who were just as duly elected? The immunity each leader enjoys is tied to their own jurisdiction, their own domain. The president has no authority to meddle in the affairs of state governments, just as a governor has no right to overstep into the territory of LGs either. Take the declaration of a State of Emergency, for instance. Sure, it’s within the president’s power, but let’s pause and think about this for a moment. Why the sudden rush to go after Governor Fubara in Rivers State? Look around, Plateau, Maiduguri, Zamfara, and countless other places are drowning in problems overrun by bandits whose actions have nothing to do with political vendettas. These are not wars orchestrated by rival factions, they’re raw, brutal crises tearing communities apart. Yet, the presidency seems oddly fixated on Fubara. Could it be because Mr. Wike, with his outsized influence, is whispering in the right ears? It’s hard not to see this as a targeted move, a settling of scores, rather than a genuine response to a national emergency.
And while we’re on the subject, let’s reverse our minds back to Kwara State in 2019. Governor Abdulrazaq didn’t hesitate to sack local government officials who had been elected fair and square. Politically motivated? You bet it was. He flexed his muscle, and those officials were out the door, no questions asked. Now, show me where in the law it says a governor has the power to dismantle local government leadership like that. Go ahead, flip through the constitution, I’ll wait. It’s not there. Nowhere does it grant a governor that kind of authority. Yet, time and again, we watch these people bend the rules to suit their agendas, and we let it slide. Why do we keep failing to hold them to account? Why do we let the rule of law become a suggestion rather than a foundation? It’s not just about one incident or one state, it’s a pattern. More often than not, it’s a calculated war against anyone who dares to stand in opposition, anyone who refuses to bow to the whims of the ruling government. Whether it’s Tinubu flexing his might from the top or Abdulrazaq pulling strings in Kwara, the playbook is the same; silence dissent, consolidate power, and damn the consequences. How long are we going to tolerate this double standard before we demand fairness, not just in words, but in action?
On Governor Fubara’s part, let’s be honest, he could’ve played his cards a little smarter. He found himself caught between serving the people of Rivers State and behind the towering shadow of Wike’s godfatherism. It’s a tricky spot, no doubt. He should’ve treaded more carefully and keep his moves sharp and calculated amidst that tug-of-war. But even with that misstep, what’s happening now isn’t on him, it’s on Mr. President, and it’s a glaring display of weakness. Suspending Fubara under the grand of GCFR isn’t some noble act of leadership, it’s a democratic coup, plain and simple. It’s a slap in the face to the people of Rivers who went to the polls and cast their votes for the man they wanted to lead them. What’s the point of elections if the president can just swoop in and undo the people’s will whenever it suits him? Think about the precedent this sets. If Tinubu can pull this off today, what stops someone else tomorrow from deciding they don’t like another governor and kicking them out too? No court, no due process, just raw power overriding the rule of law. Where does it end? We’re staring at a slippery slope where democracy becomes a fancy word for whoever’s got the muscle to call the shots. And don’t get me started on the Attorney General, Fagbemi, the learned silk. You’d think the AGF would be a voice for justice, a defender of the masses. But no, he’s out here acting like the personal lawyer for the APC. He’s quick to jump to the defense of the party and its loyal disciples, but when it’s the opposition getting hammered, he’s suddenly got a lot to say in the other direction. It’s blatant, and it’s shameful. The level of oppression under this APC government is something else entirely, a calamity that no nation in its right mind would ever wish on itself. We’re not just talking about a few bad policies here, we’re talking about a systematic chokehold on anyone who dares to question the ruling machine. Look at the track record. In the last few years, we’ve been dragged through national embarrassment after national embarrassment. Remember Buhari standing on a world stage, calling Nigerian youths lazy? That stung. Then there’s Akpabio, flexing his Senate President muscle to suspend Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a fellow senator, all because she allegedly accused him of sexual harassment. Whether she did or didn’t, the move reeked of pettiness and power-tripping. And don’t forget the state governors, like Abdulrazaq in Kwara, breaking every rule in the book to sack local officials elected by their own people, just to tighten their grip. And now, Mr. President himself, mismanaging power like it’s a game he’s still figuring out how to play. Suspending Fubara isn’t strength, it’s desperation, a flailing attempt to look like he’s in control when the cracks are showing everywhere.
Bandits are tearing through states, hunger’s biting harder every day, and instead of tackling those messes, he’s helping a Minister picking fights with a governor. For how long are we supposed to stomach this? How many more years of watching laws get twisted, voices get silenced, and the people’s will get trampled before something gives? This isn’t governance, it’s a slow-motion disaster, and we’re all stuck watching it unfold.
For me, it’s crystal clear that calling on the NGF boss, Governor Abdulrazaq, to step in here is absolutely needed. As the head of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the well-being of his fellow governors should be at the top of his list, his colleagues shouldn’t be left twisting in the wind when things get rough. But don’t hold your breath waiting for him to leap into action. You might catch him a bit off-guard, looking unfresh and uninterested, because this isn’t about fighting his imagined rival, Saraki. That’s the kind of battle that gets his blood pumping. This? Standing up for a fellow governor like Fubara against the president’s overreach? That’s a different story. It’s far too easy for him to just bend to Tinubu’s rule, toe the line, and leave his colleagues stranded without a lifeline. It’s disappointing, but not surprising.
I’ll never wrap my head around why the boss of the governors’ forum wouldn’t be ready to throw his weight behind one of his own. Solidarity should mean something, especially when the stakes are this high. But let’s not kid ourselves, Abdulrazaq’s hands aren’t clean either. He’s just as guilty of letting power go to his head. Look at what he did in Kwara back in 2019: suspending local government officials who were duly elected, even when court rulings said he had no right to pull that stunt. That’s not just a flex, it’s executive rascality at its peak. And he got away with it because Nigeria’s system under the APC is a mess. The legislatures? Toothless, sitting there twiddling their thumbs. The judiciary? Pocketed, bought, and paid for by the ruling party. It’s a one-two punch that leaves the rule of law flat on the mat. So here’s my plea, straight from the heart, Dear people of Nigeria, don’t ever vote for the APC. Don’t. Not again. We’ve seen what they bring, years of embarrassment, oppression, and leaders who think they’re above the law. From Buhari’s insults to Akpabio’s tantrums, from governors like Abdulrazaq stomping on local democracy to Tinubu’s latest power grab against Fubara, it’s the same story over and over. They don’t care about us, the people. They care about their grip on power, and they’ll break every rule to keep it. We deserve better than this circus.
Bashir Ashura is an advocate of good governance, writing from Patigi.
