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.
Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the killing of a police officer in Delta State.
Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations for 82 Division Nigerian Army said the IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) kingpin popularly known as ‘Calamity’ was arrested during a raid on the terrorists’ hideout in Nwofe, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Calamity was arrested alongside four others by troops of Sector 2, Operation UDO KA during the ongoing Operation EASTERN SANITY in the early hours of today, Tuesday, April 21.
According to Ayeni, the operation was conducted by the troops following credible intelligence that linked the suspect and his accomplice to the killing of a police officer.
He added that another individual was also injured by the suspected criminals during an attack at Okuku-Igbo in Oshimili North LGA, Delta State on February 26.
Ayeni stated that during the said attack, the suspects carted away two AK-47 rifles.
“In an attempt to evade arrest after intensified security operations in Delta State, “Calamity” and his men relocated to Ebonyi State to look for a haven and established a new criminal camp to continue their violent activities.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, troops stormed the hideout and apprehended five suspects, including the commander (Calamity) and 4 other suspects who are also key members of IPOB/ESN.
“At the time of arrest, “Calamity” was found in possession of a black handbag containing five mobile phones and numerous keys,” Ayeni said.
He mentioned other items recovered from the suspects include a black Kcsanya motorcycle.
The suspects, he said, are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation to dismantle the wider network of criminal collaborators and recover other weapons hidden by the group.
“This successful operation underscores the determination of the Nigerian Armed Forces in collaboration with other security agencies to neutralise terrorist threats, restore peace, and protect law-abiding citizens across the region.
“The military reiterates its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and calls on members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely information that will aid ongoing operations,” Ayeni noted.
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a prophetess and a suspected ‘fake’ midwife in connection with separate cases of maternal and infant deaths in the Akure and Emure-Ile areas of the state.
The arrests, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the police spokesperson in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, followed incidents recorded earlier this month in which two women and their newborns died after childbirth was handled outside recognised medical facilities.
Abayomi said the prophetess identified as Blessing Efiong was apprehended in Emure-Ile after allegedly conducting the delivery of a 20-year-old woman, Jenifer Sunday, inside a church.
He explained that Augustine Kufre reported the case on April 11, stating that his girlfriend was taken to the church after she went into labour.
“The newborn reportedly died at the scene, while the mother died on the way to the hospital following complications,” Abayomi said.
In a related development, operatives of the command also apprehended one Elizabeth Aremu in Akure for allegedly posing as a midwife.
DSP Abayomi said the incident, reported on April 16, involved the death of a woman, Blessing Lawal, who was said to have gone into labour at Aremu’s residence in the Gloryland area, off Ado Road.
According to him, the victim developed complications shortly after delivery and died before she could be rushed to a medical facility.
He said detectives who visited the scene discovered the newborn’s lifeless body wrapped in a sack.
Abayomi said the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo morgue for preservation and autopsy.
He added that investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incidents and bring those found culpable to justice.
Abayomi, however, cautioned residents against patronising unqualified individuals for medical services, especially during childbirth, stressing the need to seek care from licensed health professionals.
“In both cases, detectives from the Command have commenced thorough investigations. The remains of the deceased mothers and their infants have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and the Federal Medical Centre morgue, respectively, for preservation and autopsy.
“The Ondo State Police Command assures the public that diligent investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding these tragic incidents and to ensure that all persons found culpable are brought to justice.
“The Command strongly advises members of the public to always seek medical care from qualified and licensed healthcare providers, particularly in critical situations such as childbirth, and to avoid unregulated facilities or individuals posing as medical practitioners,” he said.
The command reiterated its resolve to protect lives and clamp down on all forms of criminal negligence in the state.
Tension is mounting in Benue State after bandits demanded ₦9 million each for two students believed to be JAMB candidates abducted from a commercial bus, even as the Nigeria Police Force announced a major breakthrough with the arrest of seven suspects and the rescue of some victims.
The victims were among passengers seized on Wednesday when gunmen intercepted an 18-seater Benue Links bus travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo, forcing occupants into nearby bush paths in what has become a chilling pattern of highway kidnappings in the region.
Family In Distress As Ransom Soars
In an emotional appeal, the father of two of the abducted students said the kidnappers have escalated their demands after a series of confusing negotiations, leaving the family devastated and helpless.
According to him, the abductors initially demanded ₦10 million for each of the victims before briefly dropping the figure to ₦500,000, only to return with a hardline demand of ₦9 million per child.
“I have two children that were kidnapped in that bus and none of them has been released,” the distraught father said.
“They first asked for ₦10 million each, later said ₦500,000, but now they insist on ₦9 million each. We are still begging them.”
The father, who spoke under anonymity for security reasons, revealed that his children were travelling from Nasarawa State when they fell into the hands of the kidnappers after boarding the ill-fated vehicle.
“Even if you sell me, I cannot be worth the ₦9 million they are asking for each of them,” he lamented.
He said the incident has thrown the family into emotional turmoil, disclosing that his wife has not eaten since the abduction, while the family now clings to hope for government intervention.
Sources say several of the victims were young travellers, including students heading to write examinations, heightening public outrage over the targeting of vulnerable citizens on Nigerian highways.
The attack has again spotlighted the growing insecurity along major routes in Benue and neighbouring states, where bandits and suspected armed herdsmen have increasingly tightened their grip.
Amid the rising anxiety, the Benue State Police Command confirmed a breakthrough in the ongoing rescue operation.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, the command said a coordinated operation involving multiple security agencies has yielded results.
“The Benue State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of a significant breakthrough following the kidnapping incident,” the statement read.
According to the police, operatives launched a targeted search-and-rescue mission in Amla Forest and surrounding areas, leading to the rescue of some victims, who are now receiving medical attention.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of seven suspects, who are currently in custody as investigations continue.
Iran Seizes Two Ships attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz
Gumi wants Nigerian government to consider dialogue in tackling terrorism
Kano Gov nominates Garo as deputy
-
News11 hours agoHow Tinubu Sacked Finance Minister Wale Edun Weeks After Hon. Alex Mascot Exposed ‘Missing’ N1.15tr
-
News11 hours agoYul Edochie Under Attack Over Disparaging Post Against Peter Obi
-
News11 hours agoOkowa Accuses Ned Nwoko of Misleading Anioma People Over State Creation Proposal
-
Health11 hours agoCross River reports outbreak of Covid-19, activates response centre
-
Entertainment11 hours agoDavido Bags Political Appointment
-
Foreign11 hours agoTrump Extends Ceasefire To Give Iran More Time To Negotiate
-
News11 hours agoDangiwa Reacts To His Sack As Minister By Tinubu
-
Metro11 hours agoSoldiers Arrest Suspected IPOB Leader Over K!lling Of Delta Police Officer