Former Rivers State Commissioner for Works, David Briggs, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of orchestrating political instability in Rivers and Lagos States through divide-and-rule tactics. According to Briggs, Tinubu’s leadership style thrives on manipulating allegiances to maintain control, exacerbating existing tensions in both states.
In an explosive interview with Symfoni, Briggs alleged that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, as well as the leadership tussle in the Lagos State House of Assembly, are deliberate strategies employed by Tinubu to consolidate power. He likened Tinubu’s approach to that of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, emphasizing that both men share a common political playbook.
Briggs recalled his earlier warning in a November 2023 AIT interview, where he had predicted that President Tinubu’s intervention in the Rivers political crisis would yield no positive results. He stated that his concerns were based on Tinubu’s and Wike’s shared traits—political aggression, an insatiable appetite for wealth accumulation, and an unrelenting ambition to dominate others.
Briggs disclosed that during a meeting with Tinubu on the Rivers crisis, the President openly criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara, portraying him as a political novice undeserving of power. He further claimed that Tinubu supported the 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that they had “crossed the Red Sea” and could not return.
“That meeting started with a condemnation of the governor,” Briggs said. “Tinubu described Fubara’s actions as an insult to democracy and made it clear he wasn’t there to mediate but to humiliate the Rivers governor.”
According to Briggs, Tinubu’s administration has actively encouraged pro-Wike lawmakers to sustain legal battles against Fubara despite the governor’s olive branch, including withdrawing his own court cases.
“That is the case with which they are punishing Rivers State now—so who is fooling who?” Briggs questioned.
He warned that Wike’s brand of politics, rooted in vengeance and ethnic manipulation, is becoming increasingly dangerous. He pointed out that Wike rose to power with the help of Ijaw leaders, particularly Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, who fought for his acceptance within the PDP when he was initially rejected.
“Without Ijaw support, Wike wouldn’t have risen politically,” Briggs asserted. “Now, he calls Ijaw people weak and incapable of winning elections. This is pure betrayal.”
Briggs alleged that Tinubu’s divide-and-rule strategy is also at play in Lagos, where the President is reportedly orchestrating conflicts within the State House of Assembly to maintain his grip on power.
“When Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, all the local governments had two leaders at a time so that he could control the loyalty of both,” Briggs claimed. “That is exactly what he is doing in Lagos now—ensuring divided loyalty among APC members so he remains in absolute control.”
He further alleged that Tinubu began distrusting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu after learning that the governor had contributed to the fundraising efforts of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign.
“From that day, Tinubu declared Sanwo-Olu an enemy,” Briggs revealed. “What is happening in Lagos now is a direct consequence of Tinubu’s political tactics.”
Briggs warned that Wike’s political career could collapse if he continues alienating the Ijaw people, who played a pivotal role in his rise to power.
“Wike uses people and then discards them,” Briggs said. “Former President Goodluck Jonathan helped him become governor. Jonathan, an Ijaw man, appointed him as a minister, which gave him national recognition. Now, Wike has the audacity to call Ijaw people weak and incapable of winning elections? That’s a fatal mistake.”
Briggs issued a stern ultimatum, cautioning that Wike had only 48 hours to retract his statements against the Ijaw people, warning that otherwise, he and other political actors, regardless of their own Ikwerre heritage, would challenge him head-on.
Briggs’ allegations paint a damning picture of President Tinubu’s and Wike’s political strategies, portraying them as leaders who thrive on division and control. As tensions escalate in Rivers and Lagos, the coming months could determine whether these power struggles lead to deeper political instability or force a realignment of forces within the APC and beyond.
PIONEER NEWS 