Advertisement
Advertisement

Wike, Fubara, and the postulations of Niccolò Machiavelli

Wike (L) and Fubara at the event

I am glad the much-needed peace has returned to Rivers State. Sim Fubara has made peace with his benefactor, Nyesom Wike as brokered by the president and other concerned stakeholders. Peace is priceless, but it comes at a cost that must be borne by either party, depending on the side of the bed you find yourself. In this case, Sim Fubara had to bear the cost. And he was wise to deem it necessary to end the rift, which was not to his advantage, given the dynamics of politics and how he ascended the throne as Governor of Rivers State.

Politics is a dirty game as insinuated. Yet, politicians have not stopped playing the game. They do all sorts of things to attain political power, including cutting deals and making concessions. These deals are agreed, signed and sealed not in the public domain, but in the sanctuary of the political godfather who can make or mar the aspiration of the politician. And when the terms of the agreement are adhered to, there is peace. But if there is a breach, then the definition of politics as a dirty game surfaces, sending unsuspecting members of the general public on a wild goose chase on who and what is right or wrong from a moral standing. But unfortunately, morality stands no chance in politics.

I don’t like to dwell on rumours in my analysis. But the rumour mills have it that part of the deal for peace between Nyesom Wike and Sim Fubara was that the governor would not seek reelection, pay all outstanding allowances to the suspended lawmakers, and Nyesom Wike would nominate the chairmen of all the local government areas in the state. In return, the lawmakers won’t institute any impeachment against him, but instead, ensure a good working relationship between the executive and the legislature. If indeed this is true, there is nothing strange about it in my opinion.

The political actors in the state have learnt valuable lessons. Sim Fubara has learnt some hard lessons in politics on why you must keep your side of the bargain. Nyesom Wike has learnt about trust and the need to have a plan B. The lawmakers have learnt about how vital loyalty is in politics and why it pays to be loyal. Worthy of mention is the fact that the lawmakers demonstrated loyalty by not jumping ship. Else, it would have been disastrous for Nyesom Wike.

Advertisement

Sim Fubara didn’t heed the advice of Ayo Fayose, who counseled him about the political notoriety of Nyesom Wike and why it is not always wise to go to political war with him. Indeed, he tested the waters and realized that things are not always how they appear. There are always undercurrents that are not expressed openly. Nyesom Wike can be overbearing too. It takes a lot to be at peace with him. And he is unapologetic about his bearing. His crabby voice also complicates matters that you don’t know when he is serious or bantering. You can only see joy in him when he is dancing to the rhythm of his hype men.

What happened in Rivers State is all politics and nothing more. Niccolò Machiavelli, an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist in his work, “The Prince” a 16th-century political treatise gave a hint of what to expect in politics. After reading “The Prince”, I laughed because some aspects captured what happened in Rivers State. For example, in chapter six of the book, Conquest by Virtue, he postulated that “Princes who rise to power through their skill and resources (their “virtue”) rather than luck tend to have a hard time rising to the top, but once they reach the top they are very secure in their position. This is because they effectively crush their opponents and earn great respect from everyone else. Because they are strong and more self-sufficient, they have to make fewer compromises with their allies.”

In chapter seven, Conquest by Fortune, he also postulated that “when a prince comes to power through luck or the blessings of powerful figures within the regime, he typically has an easy time gaining power but a hard time keeping it thereafter, because his power is dependent on his benefactors’ goodwill. He does not command the loyalty of the armies and officials that maintain his authority, and these can be withdrawn from him at a whim. Having risen the easy way, it is not even certain such a prince has the skill and strength to stand on his own feet.” Let’s relate these postulations to what happened in Rivers State.

Advertisement

Sim Fubara became governor of Rivers State by “fortune”. He was handpicked by Nyesom Wike. He had no political leverage to win the election. Everything was dependent on Nyesom Wike and he won the election. That is “conquest by fortune”. According to Niccolò Machiavelli “Having risen the easy way, it is not even certain such a prince has the skill and strength to stand on his own feet.”. This is what happened to Sim Fubara. He fought hard to change the order to no avail. He was at the mercy of the whims and caprices of Nyesom Wike. Having to accept not to seek reelection and granting the FCT Minister the concession to nominate all the local government chairmen says it all. Make no mistakes, it is not a weakness on the part of Sim Fubara. The tide is against him because of how he rose to power. It would have been a different scenario if he attained power by “virtue”. That is, using his political connections, resources and structure.

Sim Fubara is not a weak man. It is the circumstances he found himself. I want his supporters to understand this. What were his options? To continue to fight a battle that he was disadvantaged politically? He didn’t have the political might in the state and of course, the presidency supported Nyesom Wike all through for political expediency. If you were in his position, what would you have done? Don’t forget that he was also suspended from office and even if he wasn’t suspended, he was likely to be impeached by the equally aggrieved lawmakers. To Niccolò Machiavelli, Sim Fubara does not “command the loyalty of the armies and officials that maintain his authority, and these can be withdrawn from him at a whim.”

If the truth be told, there are no rules to ensure fair play in politics. Politics is more like a dare-devil stunt – One wrong move and down you go. And because there is no fair play, the game ends up being nothing but dirty. For example, someone can kill your mother today, but after the burial, the person joins your political party and you become the best of friends. This is food for thought on the rules of engagement in politics.

Ocheja, PhD, a scholar and communicator specializes in the documentation of the military histories of Nigeria and Africa and can be reached via [email protected]

Advertisement


Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheCable.

error: Content is protected from copying.