Opinion

The Adamawa Judgement: Any Hope For Nigerian Democracy?

Published

11 years ago

October 13, 2014

Mr. Chris Finebone – APC Chieftain.
My perspective of what happened in Adamawa in terms of the judgement that has just been delivered is that it portends some ray of hope for us as Nigerians. It was a similar judgement of the Supreme Court that brought Governor Amaechi into power.
It tells you that there is hope for democracy here. It tells you that ultimately, justice, fairness, equity must prevail over impunity and injustice with the help of the judiciary. I have heard a lot of people say that when the former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, for which Ngilari was his deputy, defected to APC that Ngilari did not defect with him, likening it to the scenario in Sokoto State where Wamako has defected to APC and Shagari his deputy has not so far, to our knowledge, defected to APC. It is now history that the former governor was impeached and all the Shananiga that happened threw up all kinds of characters and plots and all that and Fintiri manouvred his way and became governor and all that.
But what the court has done was to redirect and tell people that you must do things correctly. You must do right things, the right way and not right things the wrong way. You must also not do the wrong thing the right way and expect it to stand.
However, we shouldn’t make a fetish of this judgment. We have seen judgments like this before but our people returned to inflict all kinds of impunity on the citizens. Of course, it was a very valid, sweet judgement like the one that brought Governor Amaechi into power. But that did not stop all kinds of characters like Police Commissioner Mbu and the Presidency from plotting to commit all kinds of heinous crimes in Rivers State. So we shouldn’t make a fetish of this particular judgement. There is nothing too special about the judgement that should be instructing us about the way to go. It is just one judgement. Evil men will continue on their evil path. Yes the court judgement on Adamawa is good but we are not out of the woods yet.

Mr. Stanley Job Stanley – Journalist.
I think the judgement is in order. It’s in order because the constitution says if a governor wants to resign from office, he submits his resignation letter to the state House of Assembly, while the deputy governor submits to the governor. But in this case, the deputy governor instead of submitting to the governor, submitted to the assembly. We were told that by the time he submitted his resignation letter to the assembly, the governor was still in office, although impeached that same day. And that brings us to the thinking of some people, whether Ngilari submitted the resignation letter to the Assembly, knowing very well that that process was not the right way to follow and may be intended to turn round and go to court and see how he can obtain favourable judgement. That is the way some of us look at it, because there is no way a deputy governor will claim not to know the constitution or the right place to submit his resignation letter. The speaker too might have accepted the letter and acted on it out of ignorance. Because as of the time the letter was submitted, the governor was still in office. So if the deputy governor wanted to do the right thing, he would have gone straight to the governor to submit the letter. In law, the judgement was very correct because the Deputy Governor followed a wrong process and he capitalized on that, telling the court that he didn’t follow the right process, and the court saw that it was true and reinstated him.
I believe in future, there will be no such deliberate attempt to submit a resignation letter in a wrong place. If a deputy governor in another state tries to submit a resignation letter to the House of Assembly, he will be told to take it to the governor. These are some of the things that happen which make our democracy stronger. We have over the years learnt a lot of things through the practice of democracy. We have also discovered that our laws need to be amended in one way or the other.
Ananymous Lawyer –
As far as I am concerned, the judgement is the position of the law. The former governor, Nyako, did not receive his deputy’s resignation letter. The constitution says that such letter should be written to the governor not the state House of Assembly.
It is a landmark judgement and the way it was enforced immediately by the swearing in of Ngilari as the governor shows that democracy is evolving in Nigeria. There were many instances where court judgements were not honoured especially by those in authority so, for them to have abided by the pronouncement of the court shows we are growing up. It also serves as a big lesson to politicians who think they can twist the constitution any how they like and get away with it.

Miss Chinenye Nwangwu – Student
I think the judgment was a sound one. It is a lesson to all greedy politicians like Fintiri who think they can maneuver their ways and get whatever they want. Fintiri was simply over ambitious and I think the judge did the right thing by following the provisions of the constitution. I am also happy that tax payers’ money was not wasted on the bye-election which would have held on October 10. For once, let our leaders, politicians learn how to do the right thing at the right time.

Mr. Ajubo Isaac – Politician
With this judgement, one can say there is hope for Nigerian democracy because the purported resignation of Bala James Ngilari, the then deputy governor to Murtala Nyako was wrong. The resignation letter as acclaimed should have been submitted to the then governor not to the state House of Assembly.
To me, the judgement has once again proved that judiciary is the hope of the common man. When his boss was impeached, constitutionally, Ngilari should have been sworn in as the governor. But his right was denied him and instead the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Fintiri, was made the acting governor. Ngilari eventually took the matter to court which after due assessment and investigations ruled that Ngilari be sworn in as the governor since the said resignation letter didn’t pass through the constitutional procedure. No party, persons, legal practitioners can fault the
judgement, knowing it has merits. And it is a big lesson for all.

Mr. Moses Abam – Public Servant.
The judgement pronounced in favour of the former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Bala James Ngilari could be said to have been preplanned. From the onset, the former governor, Murtala Nyako defected from PDP to APC but Ngilari did not. So, the PDP must have used the speaker of the state House of Assembly and other members to mastermind the impeachment of the governor.
Why did almost every PDP member accept the court ruling? It is simply because the PDP saw the over ambition and anxiety of Speaker, Fintiri, to be the governor of the state which PDP did not want and that Ngilari is a real party (PDP) loyalist. Does this judgement hold any hope for Nigerian democracy? I doubt.

Opinion

Trans-Kalabari Road: Work In Progress

Published

5 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”This Dream project is one of the best things that have happened to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas in recent times.”

This is the concluding part of this story featured in our last edition.

Good road network helps farmers to convey their agro-allied products to commercial hubs where buyers and sellers meet periodically to transact business. Road network engineers and motivates people resident in unfriendly geographical terrains, like riverine areas, to own property and shuttle home with ease. Some people will prefer living in their own houses in a more serene and nature-blessed communities to living in the city that is fraught with pollution, and other environmental, social and economic hazards. Prior to the cult epidemic that ravaged parts of Rivers State, the Emohuas, Elemes, Ogonis, and Etches were known for rural dwelling. Most public servants from these areas do their official and private transactions from their villages. For them it was comparatively easier to live in the village and engage in a diversified economic endeavours through farming, fishing or other lucrative business without outrageous charges and embarrassment associated with doing business in Port Harcourt, where land is as scarce as the traditional needle.

That is why the decision to construct the Trans-Kalabari Road by the administration of Dr. Peter Odili was one of the best decisions that administration took. When Dr. Odili vacated office as the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took over and awarded contracts for continuation of the road project which in my considered view is the felt need of the people of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. Unfortunately, Rt. Hon. Amaechi’s efforts to drive the project was sabotaged by some contractors some of whom are Kalabari people. The main Trans-Kalabari Road is one project that is dear to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas of Rivers State. This is because through the road commuters can easily access several communities in the three local government areas. For instance, the road when completed will enable access to eight of the ten communities in Degema Local Government Area, namely: Bukuma, Tombia, Bakana, Oguruama, Obuama, Usokun, Degema town and the Degema Consulate. It will also link 15 of the 16 communities in Asari Toru Local Government Area. The communities are: Buguma, the local government headquarters, Ido, Abalama, Tema, Sama, Okpo, Ilelema, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama, Krakrama, Omekwe-Ama, Angulama. The road will also connect 14 of 17 wards in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, and other settlements. It is interesting to note that It is faster, and far more convenient and economical for the catchment Communities on the Trans-Kalabari Road network to go to the State Capital than the East West Road. The people of the three local government areas will prefer to work or do their transactions in Port Harcourt from their respective communities to staying in Port Harcourt where the house rent and the general cost of living is astronomically high.

Consequently, development will seamlessly spread to the 28 out of 34 communities of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. The only Communities that are not linked by the road project are Oporoama in Asari Toru, the Ke and Bille Communities in Degema Local Government Area and the “Oceania” communities of Abissa, Kula, Soku, Idama, Elem Sangama of Akuku Toru Local Government Area. But because of the economic value of the unlinked Communities to Nigeria, (they produce substantial oil and gas in the area), the Federal, State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), can extend the road network to those areas just as Bonny is linked to Port Harcourt and the Lagos Mainland Bridge is connecting several towns in Lagos and neighbouring States.Kudos to previous administrations who had constructed the Central Group axis.

However, what is said to be the First Phase of the Trans-Kalabari Road project is actually a linkage of the “Central Group” Communities which consists of Krakrama, Angulama, Omekwe. Ama, Omekwe Tari Ama, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama. It is the peripheral of the Trans-Kalabari Road. The completion of the Main Trans Kalabari project will free Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas from congestion. It will motivate residents and people of the three local areas to contribute to the development of their Communities. If the Ogonis, Etches, Emohuas, Oyigbos, Okrikas, Elemes can feel comfortable doing business in Port Harcourt from home, residents and people whose communities are linked to Port Harcourt through the Trans-Kalabari Road will no doubt, do likewise. The vast arable virgin land of the Bukuma people can be open for development and sustainable agricultural ventures by Local, State and Federal Government.

It is necessary to recall that the Bukuma community was host to the Federal Government’s Graduate Farmers’ Scheme and the Rivers State Government moribund School-to-Land Scheme under Governor Fidelis Oyakhilome. Bukuma was the only community in Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas that has the capacity to carry those agricultural programmes. However the lack of road to transport farm produce to Port Harcourt and facilitate the movement of the beneficiaries of the scheme who lived in the community which is several miles away from the farms, hampered the sustainability of the programme. The main Trans-Kalabari Road remains the best gift to the people of Degema, Asari Toru, and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas. Kudos to Sir Siminilayi Fubara.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

That U.S. Capture of Maduro

Published

5 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction.”

The first part of this story was published in our last edition.

In Africa and the Middle East, regime change—whether by invasion, proxy warfare, or sanctions—has often left behind fractured states, weakened institutions, and prolonged instability. Washington’s motivations in Venezuela are widely understood: vast oil reserves, alliances with U.S. rivals, and symbolic defiance of American influence in the Western Hemisphere. But none of these reasons confer legal or moral legitimacy. Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction. If every powerful nation acted on its grievances in this manner, global chaos would inevitably follow. International law provides mechanisms for accountability. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), individuals accused of crimes against humanity or other grave offences are subject to investigation and prosecution through judicial processes.

Likewise, extradition treaties, mutual legal assistance agreements, and Interpol mechanisms exist to ensure accountability while respecting due process. These frameworks were designed precisely to prevent unilateral enforcement of “justice” by military force. The most profound consequence of America’s action may not be in Caracas, but in the precedent it sets. If the world accepts that a superpower can unilaterally depose another country’s president, then the foundation of the international system is weakened. Sovereignty becomes conditional—no longer a right, but a privilege tolerated at the discretion of the powerful. Going forward, if another country invades its neighbour, will the United States retain the moral authority to impose sanctions or demand restraint? Some analysts already warn that parallels between Russia’s actions in Ukraine and America’s conduct in Venezuela risk further eroding global norms. Selective adherence to international law breeds cynicism and accelerates the drift toward a world governed by force rather than rules.

Power—military, economic, or political—should serve human progress and collective well-being, not domination and destruction. For African nations, many of which emerged from colonial rule through bitter struggle, this precedent is especially alarming. Sovereignty is not an abstract legal concept; it is a hard-won shield against external domination. Any erosion of that principle anywhere weakens it everywhere. Africa’s painful history of foreign interference makes this lesson especially urgent. For me, the real issue is not whether Nicolás Maduro is a good or bad leader. That judgment belongs, first and foremost, to the Venezuelan people. The larger issue is whether the international system still operates on law—or has quietly reverted to hierarchy. If America insists it is defending global order, it must ask itself a difficult question: can an order survive when its most powerful guardian feels entitled to violate it? Until that question is answered honestly, the capture of a foreign president will remain not a triumph of justice, but a troubling symbol of a world drifting from law toward force.

If the United States felt so strongly about the allegations of terrorism, drug trafficking against Maduro, were there no other lawful options? Judicial accountability, diplomacy, regional mediation, and multilateral pressure may be slow and imperfect, but they reflect respect for international law and sovereign equality. Military seizure is a blunt instrument. It humiliates institutions, radicalizes populations, and hardens resistance. It may remove a leader, but it rarely resolves the underlying crisis. History teaches that military interventions seldom result in stable democratic outcomes. More often, they breed resentment, resistance, and long-term instability. For the sake of global order and the rule of law, the United States should reconsider this path and recommit to diplomacy, legal cooperation, and respect for the sovereign equality of states. Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly described the invasion of Venezuela as “unlawful and unwise,” warning that such actions “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.” Her words reflect a growing recognition, even within the United States, that force without legitimacy undermines both moral authority and global stability.

Should what happened in Venezuela serve as a wake-up call for corrupt African leaders who undermine the people’s right to choose their leaders? The answer is yes. The capture of Maduro should alarm African leaders who manipulate elections, weaken institutions, suppress opposition, undermine citizens’ rights, or cling to power at all costs. Venezuela faced widespread criticism over disputed elections and repression long before this episode, and that context shaped how the world reacted. This does not justify foreign military intervention, but it highlights an uncomfortable truth: prolonged democratic decay isolates nations and invites external pressure—from sanctions to diplomatic censure. Global opinion matters, and legitimacy at home strengthens sovereignty abroad. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several African leaders have rightly condemned the events in Venezuela, invoking the principles of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in international and regional law.

Beyond condemnation, however, African leaders must look inward. The continent’s future cannot be built on repression, constitutional manipulation, and personal greed. Leadership must reflect the will of the people, not desperation for power. Two days ago, a social commentator on a radio station argued that Trump’s action—though condemnable—demonstrates how far a leader can go for his country’s interest. According to this view, he did not intervene in Venezuela for personal enrichment, but to strengthen his nation. In stark contrast, many African leaders plunder their own countries. They siphon public resources, impose crushing taxes and harmful policies, and leave their citizens poorer—all for selfish gain. That contradiction is the deeper lesson Africa must confront.True sovereignty is protected not only by international law, but by accountable leadership at home.

By: Calista Ezeaku

Opinion

Kudos Gov Fubara

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Please permit me to use this medium to appreciate our able governor, Siminalayi Fubara for the inauguration of the 14.2-kilometre Obodhi–Ozochi Road in Ahoada-East Local Government Area. This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the history of our communities and deserves commendation. We, the people of Ozochi, are particularly happy because this project has brought long-awaited relief after years of isolation and hardship.

The expression of our traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Eze Prince Ike Ehie, JP, during the inauguration captured the joy of our people. He said, “our isolation is over.” That reflects the profound impact of this road on daily life, economic activities, and social integration of the people of Ozochi and other neighbouring communities. The road will no doubt ease transportation, improve access to markets and healthcare, and strengthen links between Ahoada, Omoku, and other parts of Rivers State.

The people of Ahoada, Omoku, and indeed Rivers State as a whole are grateful to our dear governor for this laudable achievement and wish him many more successful years in office. We pray that God endows him with more wisdom and strength to continue to pilot the affairs of the state for the benefit of all. As citizens, we should rally behind the governor and support his development agenda. Our politicians and stakeholders should embrace peace and cooperation, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in an atmosphere of conflict. Sustainable development in the state can only thrive where peace prevails.

Samuel Ebiye