On February 10, 2025, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will transform into a battleground of political and legal intrigues, hearing seven appeals tied to the escalating political crisis in Rivers State. Dubbed “Proxy Wars Day,” this pivotal moment highlights the intersection of power, money, and judicial accountability in Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape.
At the heart of these cases are weighty matters: the legitimacy of the October 2024 local government elections in Rivers State, the legality of the state’s 2025 budget passed by a fragmented House of Assembly, and the contentious claims of legislators defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). These appeals also touch on attempts to deny Rivers State its rightful share of the Federation Account, underscoring the stakes in this power struggle.
This crisis is widely perceived as a proxy war orchestrated by Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State, against his successor, Siminalayi Fubara. Despite Wike’s public vow to steer clear of state politics after leaving office in May 2023, he has leveraged his influence to tighten his grip on Rivers, portraying himself as both Abuja’s powerbroker and Port Harcourt’s de facto administrator.
The situation bears unsettling parallels to historical power struggles, such as the 1920s battle over Lagos’ throne, where colonial authorities deposed Oba Eshugbayi Eleko, sparking years of legal confrontations that culminated in landmark judgments by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Yet, unlike the Lagos case—rooted in principle and public interest—the Rivers crisis is starkly self-serving, driven by political ambition and resource control.
Wike’s confrontational tactics and open disdain for judicial independence have raised eyebrows. In October 2024, he publicly declared that resolving Rivers’ political turmoil hinged on the governor “obeying court judgments,” a thinly veiled endorsement of judicial manipulation. His audacity is matched only by the judiciary’s alarming tolerance for political interference, as evidenced by the growing prevalence of “political cases” clogging Nigeria’s courts.
Former Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola’s 2023 report revealed that nearly half of the Supreme Court’s judgments that year were political appeals, a sharp increase from two years prior. This trend, fueled by politicians who exploit the courts to legitimize power grabs, has undermined the judiciary’s credibility and delayed justice for ordinary citizens.
Odinkalu critiques this judicial complicity as a “judicial lasciviousness syndrome,” where the bench parades itself before powerful politicians, forsaking its constitutional duty to deliver justice impartially. The Supreme Court has an opportunity to restore faith in the rule of law by decisively addressing the Rivers State cases and rejecting the politicization of justice. Failure to act boldly will cement its role as an enabler of power-mongering, perpetuating a cycle of legal dysfunction and political instability.
As the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s rulings, the Rivers State crisis underscores the urgent need for judicial reform. Beyond the immediate outcomes, these cases could redefine the judiciary’s place in Nigeria’s democracy—either as a bulwark of justice or as a pawn in the hands of political elites.
PIONEER NEWS 