Opinion
US 2016: An Appeal To Nigerian-Americans
We are watching violent protests on TV following the recent US Presidential elections. As Nigerian-Americans, I appeal to you not to be associated with any act of election violence, bitterness or rancour. You are or should be wiser than that.
However, you have a veritable opportunity to educate your new compatriots how matters like this are dealt with and resolved in your native land, Nigeria. Permit me to refresh your minds (some of you left these shores a long time ago) on the available options:
First Option: At this point the US elections will be declared inconclusive. Congress will progress with a flurry of legislative activities to declare a constitutional crisis and extant laws would be reviewed and invoked to extend the Obama Presidency by at least 18 months while dealing with the present crises. All parties and actors will head to different courts; different and sometimes conflicting rulings/pronouncements/judgments should be expected and welcomed. Ultimately, we expect one of the courts to annul the election and declare it null and void. Multiple injunctions will also be granted to deal a death blow on the hand-over arrangements. Everybody, including the Presidency, Judiciary, Executive will be confused. The refrain will be to obey all court orders. A good friend of Trump will be despatched to warn him that the country is bigger than his personal ambition and he should not lay claim to any mandate. Obama remains as President by decision of congress or court to enjoy a cool third term. Re-run elections 11/2017.
Second Option: A member of the Republican Party that participated in the Republican primaries will head to court to challenge Trump’s flawed emergence as the Republican flag bearer. The US has an abundance of legal luminaries. They will argue that Trump has never been a Republican Party man, the process was hijacked, he does not know his ward chairman, he cannot produce his party registration card and did not participate in the ward congress, he did not attend the required number of party meetings; in fact the entire process of his nomination was a kangaroo set-up laden with irregularities. The court will be persuaded to give judgment setting aside the Republican primaries and grant an injunction to stop all swearing in and presidential handover processes. Obama remains. If he must go with his VP Biden, then Ryan, the next in line, being a Republican, is immediately sworn in as interim President and not Trump. The Republicans are happy; the establishment is back!
Third Option: The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), (in Nigeria, DSS or Police will do a fantastically good job in Nigeria) will swing into action, linking the ongoing election violence as the handiwork of agents of destabilisation, particularly pointing fingers at Russia and other seen and unseen enemies of the country. All politicians with links to Russia will be under intense investigation and surveillance and barred from the new political process to identify new standard flag bearers of both the Democratic and Republican parties for the re-run presidential elections, which may be called in 2018. Mid-night raids of personal homes without search or arrest warrants will not be ruled out. Trump will not participate in the new democratic process. The Republican Party will be assumed to know a little more and not be foolish again. Election is called for 2018.
Meanwhile, lawyers and judges will ‘chop fine’ clearing the legal mess created by the political class. The Supreme Court will put the final nail on the coffin of the 2016 US presidential elections. That election for producing a candidate like Trump, will be declared as repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience. It never happened. It is annulled. The country must move forward. Enough is enough!
You can see why Nigerians are the happiest people on earth! Everybody goes back to work. No violence. No arson. No riots. No protests. No wahala. The wuruwuru politician and his associates are put under check through due process. National assets and infrastructure are secured and protected. Everybody is happy once again, and it is business as usual.
Please, tell your friends and family to go to work, school, holiday resorts, shopping malls or stay at home and enjoy God’s own country. You deserve it. The protests are unnecessary. There are better and decent options. Remind them of these options as I have done. America is already great forever. They should not play into the hands of the devil to destroy their great works and nation. Fundamentalists are lurking around the corner to hijack situations like these to inflict maximum damage on unsuspecting nations around the world, and they should not be allowed to do so on a platter in God’s own country. Every decent society is a stakeholder in America and should not allow evil to befall that nation. The Nigerian options are very efficacious and in line with the rule of law.
God bless America. God bless Nigeria.
Wellington, a lawyer and public affairs analyst, resides in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
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Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
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