List of Nigerian Governors Fighting Their Predecessors
TheTalk.NG journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security and public journalism.
Port Harcourt, Rivers state – Politics is a struggle for social power, so sometimes, conflicts between former precursors spring up.
Some Nigerian governors are entangled in a conflict with their predecessors.
A political friction between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, has rocked Rivers state since 2023.
Photo credits: Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – CON, GSSRS, Sir Siminalayi FubaraSource: Facebook
In this report, TheTalk.NG highlights the seemingly unending feud between governors and their predecessors.
1) Otti vs Ikpeazu
Among other claims, Governor Alex Otti of Abia state alleged that his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, paid a whopping N10 billion for an Abia state airport that did not exist.
Otti claimed to be quoting from a forensic audit report that he had ordered.
The Abia governor also alleged that Ikpeazu embezzled N107 billion from the state during his tenure.
The governor stated that his claim was the outcome of a report by one of the three best worldwide audit firms, as he defined them, which he said he commissioned to carry out a forensic audit as soon as he took office.
Ikpeazu debunked both claims.
It is noteworthy that both men do not belong to the same political party. While Otti is a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Ikpeazu flies the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
2) Alia vs Ortom
Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, the governor of Benue state, has decided to probe his predecessor’s administration.
In October 2023, Alia disclosed that his government inherited N359 billion as debt from the past administration of Samuel Ortom.
But Ortom retorted and asserted that Governor Alia lied.
The former governor explained that he was explicit in his handover speech that though the debt situation of the state government at the time of his exit from office might appear to be on the high side (N187.56 billion), his administration had taken proactive steps to negotiate and ensure significant debt reduction/reliefs.
3) Fubara vs Wike
Recall that Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and Siminalayi Fubara have been in a long-standing feud, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervening (without success) to douse the tension brewing in the state.
The feud started in October 2023 and has refused to abate.
The Rivers assembly has since been polarised into two factions as a result of the crisis: Victor Jumbo-led faction is loyal to Fubara, while the Amaewhule-led faction is loyal to Wike.
The two factions are currently battling in court, seeking to affirm who has the legal authority to be recognised as the state parliament.
Recently, a crisis also broke out in the 23 local government area (LGA) secretariats of the state after elected chairpersons, loyal to Wike, refused to vacate their offices after the expiration of their tenure.
Fubara had appointed caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the local governments, and although some people disagreed, the appointments stand as of today.
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Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo, disclosed that he would not support any stranger who did not understand what it takes to govern the state to take over from him after the end of his administration.
Obaseki said he believed that the governor should have a preferred candidate but posited that it was the people that his successor wanted to govern. Therefore, it was the people that would decide his successor, and he as a leader, can only give advice.
Source: TheTalk.NG
