Metro
Targeting the Ally to Weaken the Principal: The Politics Behind the FCT Storm
By Abraham Amah
Politics rarely unfolds on the surface. Its deepest battles are often waged indirectly, through proxies, symbols, and calculated distractions. What Nigeria is presently witnessing in the sustained political storm around the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is not an isolated disagreement over governance style or administrative choices. It is a strategic attempt to weaken the principal by attacking the ally. At its core, this unfolding drama is less about Abuja and more about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The current effort to politically discredit President Tinubu has assumed a multilateral character. It is no longer driven by a single opposition tendency but by converging interests that share little in common beyond grievance and exclusion. One front of this convergence has materialized under the banner of a coalition that presents itself as an alternative platform. Yet a closer examination reveals that this grouping is not united by ideas, policy clarity, or a coherent national vision. Rather, it is bound together by dissatisfaction, personal injury, and unresolved political loss.
Those who parade themselves as the new face of opposition are, in truth, familiar actors with long political histories that inspire more questions than confidence. Their records do not reflect a transformative legacy or a capacity for national reinvention. This reality makes it difficult to interpret their sudden unity as anything other than an alliance of aggrieved interests seeking relevance through political disruption rather than democratic persuasion.
Alongside this coalition effort is a more sophisticated maneuver. It is the deliberate targeting of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. This is not accidental. In political arithmetic, Wike represents a substantial pillar within the broader coalition that produced the Tinubu presidency. His influence cuts across the South South, the South East, and significant political networks beyond these regions. To weaken Wike is to weaken a considerable portion of President Tinubu’s political support base. The calculation is simple and cold. Remove the ally and the principal becomes exposed.
This explains why the attacks on the FCT minister have been relentless and emotionally charged. They are designed to provoke isolation, induce internal fractures, and compel the President into difficult political choices. However, this strategy rests on a fundamental misreading of the man at the center of power. President Tinubu is not unfamiliar with political plots. He is a student of power, shaped by decades of contestation, negotiation, and survival within Nigeria’s complex political terrain. He understands that leadership is not sustained by panic or appeasement but by clarity, loyalty, and strategic patience.
Those who imagine that President Tinubu will sacrifice a key political ally to satisfy orchestrated outrage fail to appreciate the deeper logic of power. Politics is not governed by noise but by structure. It is not driven by momentary sentiment but by long term calculation. Tinubu knows that once a leader begins to abandon allies under pressure, authority itself begins to dissolve.
The suggestion, in some quarters, that Governor Siminalayi Fubara represents a political alternative capable of replacing Nyesom Wike within the national power equation further exposes the superficiality of the argument. Governance, especially at the highest levels, is not an apprenticeship program. It demands political maturity, institutional memory, and the ability to navigate crises without external tutelage. Comparing a relatively new political actor to a seasoned political operator is not only unrealistic but intellectually dishonest. One is still learning the alphabet of power. The other has long mastered its language.
Beyond individuals, this moment invites a broader philosophical reflection on Nigerian politics. Coalitions built on resentment rarely endure. Power pursued through sabotage often collapses under its own weight. History teaches that nations do not progress when political actors substitute grievance for vision and conspiracy for competence. What endures is not the loudness of opposition but the depth of preparation and the discipline of leadership.
In the final analysis, the storm around the Federal Capital Territory is a mirror reflecting a larger struggle for relevance and survival within Nigeria’s political elite. It is a test of political maturity for all involved. For President Tinubu, it is a familiar terrain, one he has navigated before. For his critics, it may yet become a lesson in the limits of political engineering.
Power, after all, is not merely seized. It is sustained through experience, alliances, and an unspoken understanding of when to stand firm and when to yield. Those who seek to weaken the principal by targeting the ally may soon discover that they have underestimated both.
The Delta State Police Command has arrested one suspect in connection with the death of Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education, following allegations that he was assaulted at the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, in Asaba.
The police disclosed this in a press release issued on Friday, September 25, 2026, confirming that the arrested suspect, identified as Lucky Adoh, was among three individuals allegedly linked to the incident.
The other two suspects, identified as Enos Attah and Oputa Okestine, are reportedly on the run, with the police saying a manhunt has been launched to apprehend them.
The incident, which reportedly occurred at the commissioner’s office, has drawn public attention following allegations that the deceased was beaten by the commissioner’s aides.
The police, however, said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent death of the senior civil servant.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel Erale, has directed the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the case.
According to the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the investigation would examine available evidence, including video footage, eyewitness accounts, medical records and the actions of everyone connected with the incident.
The command said the investigation was aimed at establishing the facts and ensuring that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice in accordance with the law.
The police commissioner assured the deceased’s family and members of the public that no individual found culpable would be shielded, regardless of their position or status.
Erale also pledged that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without interference.
He urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid drawing conclusions before the investigation establishes the facts surrounding the incident.
The commissioner also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, assuring them that the command would pursue justice without fear or favour.
The police statement did not disclose whether the commissioner for secondary education or any other official had been questioned in connection with the incident.
The Story will continue to follow developments in the investigation as the police work to apprehend the fleeing suspects and establish the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi, has assured that the Corps will not shield anyone found culpable in the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Minna, Niger State.
Audi gave the assurance when he paid a condolence and courtesy visit to the Emir of Minna, Umar Bahago, the families of the deceased and the family of the survivor.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the NSCDC spokesman, Babawale Afolabi, the NSCDC boss said the Corps would prioritise justice and transparency in its response to the incident.
“The CG strongly condoled with the families and gave a firm assurance that the Corps will not shield anyone found culpable, emphasising that justice and transparency will take precedence,” the statement partly read.
Audi also disclosed that the Federal Government, following a directive from the Presidency, had constituted a high-powered investigative committee to probe the incident.
He said the NSCDC was fully cooperating with the committee, adding that relevant personnel had already been placed in protective custody to make them available for the investigation.
“The CG noted that the Federal Government, under the directive of the Presidency, has constituted a high-powered investigative committee to probe the incident. The NSCDC is fully cooperating with the panel. Relevant personnel have already been placed in protective custody to make them fully available for a transparent investigation process,” he said.
Audi explained that his visit was also to join Muslim faithful in observing the third- and seventh-day prayers for the deceased.
He said the prayers were significant for seeking the repose of the souls of the deceased and strength for the bereaved families.
Responding on behalf of the traditional institution and the families, the Emir expressed appreciation to the Commandant General for his visit and the administrative steps taken following the incident.
He also commended the NSCDC for cooperating with the Presidential investigative committee and for personally identifying with the community during the period of mourning.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has handed over N80 million recovered from a businessman accused of selling a 146-acre property to another businessman without transferring ownership of the land.
In a statement on X on Thursday, the EFCC said the Acting Zonal Director of its Benin Zonal Directorate, DCE Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, handed over a draft of the recovered N80 million to 42-year-old businessman, Ifeanyi Innocent Madueke, on Wednesday, September 24, 2026.
The commission said Madueke had purchased 146 acres of land in a community in Delta State from Austine Muanya Okafor for N232.8 million.
However, Madueke was unable to take possession of the property despite completing payment, prompting him to approach Okafor for a refund.
According to the EFCC, Madueke’s efforts to recover his money were unsuccessful, leading him to petition the commission.
The EFCC said investigation established that Madueke transferred the money to the suspect in three tranches.
Presenting the recovered funds, Sa’ad said the commission would continue to discharge its responsibilities professionally and with utmost integrity.
He also warned that fraudsters would not be allowed to benefit from illicit activities.
Receiving the N80 million draft, Madueke expressed appreciation to the EFCC, saying he had almost lost hope before petitioning the commission.
“I am grateful to the Commission for what they have done. I had lost hope before I came to EFCC. I thank the management and staff for the good work they are doing,” he said.
The EFCC said the recovery formed part of its efforts to investigate financial crimes and recover proceeds of fraudulent transactions.
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