Modupe Olalere
Over the past decade, Nyesom Wike has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most prominent politicians. He ascended from Local Government Chairman in Rivers State to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria and has exhibited a controversial political course that his political sense and self have always coloured. Wike is considered an aggressive and personal politician, which may explain whether his political orientation is one of politics without any grounding ideology or common values.
Wike was born in 1967 in Rivers State.
He had ambition. For example, he got involved in politics from the bottom. He was chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, then he was Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor before being appointed Minister of State for Education by President Goodluck Jonathan. He became a person of interest more broadly. He was elected governor of Rivers State in 2015, re-elected in 2019, and completed his second term in 2023. Wike became known for his fiery speeches, confrontational style, and ability to mobilise supporters.
Wike’s term as governor was primarily characterised by development and a focus on infrastructure. The governor made roads, schools, hospitals, and many other public works the central focus of his administration. His extensive work earned him the nickname “Mr. Projects” by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. However, disputes and sometimes violent encounters occurred between supporters and opponents during Wike’s term in office. The mixture of all these developmental strides with violence and turmoil shaped how politics and political issues were dealt with, not only along partisan lines but through an image of a politician who craves power and control – more than ideological or consensus building.
Wike’s political style reflects a broader trend in Nigerian politics in which personal ambition and loyalty to individuals rather than party ideology or national values are paramount. Nigerian political parties rarely have ideological foundations, and politicians change parties at will based on convenience or opportunity. Wike’s career is a prime example of this. He had been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a long time. During the 2023 elections, Wike publicly backed the opposing candidate but did not support his party’s presidential candidate. This move shocked many; however, it exemplifies the opportunism attached to Nigerian politics.
His willingness to no longer support his party would suggest that in Nigeria, politics is about who controls resources and power, not about a shared vision for the country’s future. That raises interesting questions about whether a stable democratic culture can be based on its principles and values.
Media Spotlight and the Role of Money in Wike’s Politics
Nyesom Wike always finds a way into the news because he can attract media attention through his personality and financial resources, which brings attention to himself. The media constantly chases him because of his bravado, public confrontations, and mass development projects. For instance, he can attract headlines in the media for sharply criticising opponents or his drunken-style public appearances.
Money is an essential factor in Wike’s political sway and media presence. His spending on advertising, political campaigns, and media coverage has been substantial over numerous years. Financial sovereignty allows him to be an individual who could nurture public opinion and his media-platform image of a potent leader with their media-reinforcement mechanisms. For instance, during the election season, Wike’s campaigns have perhaps the most abundant and intensive media acquisition and space surrounding the elections or sponsored-content events.
Wike’s wealth is often associated with his long tenure in a resource-wealthy state like Rivers, where oil is produced in large quantities. Wike’s critics maintain that he has used public funds and political patronage to develop a financial base. He has been accused of corruption and misuse of public funds, but this has not transitioned into legal charges. His supporters say financial independence has allowed him to fund developmental projects and political initiatives without relying on outside funds or donors. Supporters state that this affords him a degree of autonomy, allowing him to act boldly and produce outcomes.
The media’s fixation with Wike also indicates a more general political reality in Nigeria, in which financial backing and media exposure are critical for achieving political success. Politicians with sufficient funds to advertise their exploits in the media typically seem to captivate public discourse. Wike’s capacity to monetise the media is just another countless example of this.
His hostile leadership style makes him a media magnet as well. His speeches and actions typically generate widespread reactions in a way that guarantees that his actions will help sustain coverage. This coverage and his constructive visibility enable him to remain nationally relevant despite being out of elective office. In the example noted above, following his governorship, Wike’s appointment as the Minister of the FCT in 2023 received broad-based coverage, particularly as the media documented his engagements and public comments.
Example Wike Sets for Nigeria’s Political Future
Nyesom Wike’s political career offers a valuable perspective on Nigerian politics and sets a precedent for the nation’s future. His style and actions show a political culture where self-interest, money, and media power carry more weight than ideology or shared values.
Wike’s politics are practical and often savage. He is known for decisive execution and for fighting hard in politics. Wike executes these political fights through several tactics. He uses court cases and protests to fight his opponents in and out of the political arena. He is both praised and condemned for his outré politics. To supporters, he is a champion of his people who get things done. To his opponents and critics, he is undermining democratic norms and extending fractures.
His readiness to change party loyalties and even oppose his party’s presidential nominee in 2023 indicates that he sets ideology aside and his main objective is political survival. This may leave the impression that younger generations of politicians think it is wise to focus on their self-interest and a political opportunism brand rather than support strong and healthy political institutions or serve as unifiers.
Simultaneously, Wike’s emphasis on development shows that Nigerian politicians can deliver real value to their people. His focus on creating infrastructure, building hospitals, and providing education illustrates that leadership success can combine assertiveness with service.
But the standard Wike projects also alert us to the potential for a political system as focused on individual personalities as it is on the ideas and policies being developed. The more that politics titillates influential individuals with resources and media profiles, the more that alternate voices and perspectives can get sidestepped. This is detrimental to the evolution of a robust democracy that relies on policy and ideologies as the basis for governing and decision-making.
As Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Wike has continued to demonstrate political strategic intelligence. Since being appointed in August 2023, he has also initiated projects in Abuja that target urban development and infrastructure improvements. He has responded to challenges facing urban areas, which we traditionally associate with democratic governance, such as traffic, housing, and urban safety. He has shown political skill working with political figures on the opposite end of the spectrum, with which he is more aligned. This demonstrates political strategic dexterity, probably leading him to a utility perspective based on power and control rather than ideology.
In the Nigerian political landscape, Wike’s career exemplifies the persistent challenges in creating a political culture built on ideology, shared values, and democratic values. His case indicates that money, media, and personality will continue to shape politics. For Nigeria’s future, this signifies that any attempts to build institutions and promote ideology face considerable obstacles.
Nyesom Wike remains a key figure in Nigerian politics. His career reflects the complexities of a system where power, money, and media visibility often overshadow ideology and shared values. As Nigeria’s democracy evolves, the example set by politicians like Wike will shape the country’s political culture and governance for years to come. This could mean more troubling times for Nigeria’s multi-party system democracy.