Political Analyst Urges Tinubu to Dismiss Wike Amid Rivers Turmoil

The political storm engulfing Rivers State has reached a fever pitch, prompting stark warnings from high-ranking political observers about the stability of Nigeria’s democratic framework. Dickson Iroegbu, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party and a vocal figure within the Obedient movement, has cast the renewed impeachment threats against Governor Siminalayi Fubara as a calculated assault orchestrated from the corridors of power in Abuja. Speaking on the escalating crisis, Iroegbu suggested that the current standoff is the inevitable result of the ruling party’s decision to empower a “political monster” that now threatens to consume its creators.

Iroegbu’s analysis centers on the sudden and dramatic return of the Rivers State House of Assembly from its scheduled recess. He argued that the lawmakers’ swift reconvening was not born of legislative urgency but was a premeditated move with a singular, lethal objective: the service of an impeachment notice on the sitting Governor. The analyst pointed to the specific rhetoric used by the Assembly’s leadership, noting that the Speaker’s language appeared to be a direct echo of sentiments previously expressed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

According to Iroegbu, the assertion by House members that Governor Fubara’s election was a “mistake” serves as clear evidence that the legislators are acting as proxies for external interests. He alleged that the lawmakers have abandoned their independent constitutional roles to serve as “stooges” in a personal vendetta. This development, he warned, suggests that the political structure in Rivers State is being manipulated to ensure that no individual can hold the governorship without total subservience to a singular predecessor.

Despite his harsh critique of the impeachment process, Iroegbu offered a surprising take on the combatants themselves, stating that he holds no personal sympathy for either camp. He described Fubara and Wike as two sides of a fractured political coin, suggesting that the Governor is now grappling with the consequences of a system he was once part of. However, his sharpest criticism was reserved for the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu, whom he accused of providing the platform and “enabling environment” for Wike to exert such disproportionate influence over the country’s democratic space.

The analyst contended that the ruling party intentionally positioned the former Rivers Governor to undermine and potentially annihilate the opposition PDP. Having largely succeeded in weakening his former party, Wike is now seen by critics as believing he is more powerful than the Presidency itself. Iroegbu highlighted recent public utterances where the Minister allegedly suggested that “nobody” could dictate what happens in Rivers State—a statement Iroegbu interpreted as a direct challenge to the authority of the Commander-in-Chief.

In a bold call to action, Iroegbu urged President Tinubu to demonstrate “leadership boldness” by officially sacking Nyesom Wike from the cabinet. He argued that such a move is necessary to remind all political actors that there is only one President in Nigeria. By removing the Minister, the President would effectively signal that the era of using state institutions to scuttle sub-national democracy is over. Iroegbu suggested that Wike has already served his strategic purpose for the APC and has now become a liability to the administration’s image.

The ongoing “roforofo fight”—a colloquial term for a messy, public brawl—between the two Rivers leaders is being viewed by some in the opposition as a potential turning point. Iroegbu admitted that the internal implosion within the pro-Wike and pro-Fubara camps could ultimately benefit the PDP. He expressed hope that as the two factions exhaust their political capital against one another, it will create the necessary space for the opposition to reorganize and offer a more stable alternative to the electorate in the 2027 cycle.

Beyond the immediate power struggle, the crisis raises fundamental questions about the nature of party structures in Nigeria. Iroegbu argued that the APC’s reliance on “political wreckers” to weaken the opposition has backfired, creating a internal contradiction that is now “eating them up.” He warned that if the federal government does not act to quell the impunity in Rivers, the precedent set could embolden other regional power brokers to hold their state governments to ransom, further fragile-izing the nation’s political landscape.

As the second stanza of the 2025/2026 political calendar begins, the focus remains on whether the Presidency will choose to intervene or allow the impeachment process to run its course. For analysts like Iroegbu, the President’s silence is becoming increasingly deafening. He believes that the only way to restore order and preserve the integrity of the office of the Governor is for the federal government to withdraw its perceived support for the forces seeking Fubara’s removal.

The drama in Rivers State is far from over, but the lines of battle are now clearly drawn between those advocating for gubernatorial independence and those defending the legacy of political godfatherism. Iroegbu’s parting shot was a reminder that in the game of power, those who create monsters often find themselves on the menu once the original targets have been cleared away.