Rivers governorship: When the Minority Leader finds comfort in the majority’s bed
Rivers governorship: When the Minority Leader finds comfort in the majority’s bed
By The Neighbourhood Newspaper
In the sweltering heat of Nigeria’s 2027 political “katakata,” the line between the hunter and the hunted has finally evaporated. If there were any doubts left that Nigerian politics is a game of musical chairs played on a bed of needles, they were laid to rest earlier on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Screening round, at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.
The reported guest of honour? None other than Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda, the incumbent Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and a man whose political DNA was thought to be fused with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. APC’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, is the Chairman of this Screening Committee.
Sighted among the “progressives” for the APC governorship screening, Chinda’s appearance felt less like a political crossover and more like a scene from a fever dream. The man who leads the official opposition in the Green Chamber was reportedly being screened for a gubernatorial ticket under the very banner he is paid to oppose.
The return of the ‘kwarikwata’
To understand this development, one must look back to the infamous kwarikwata, the notoriously resilient bed bugs that plagued Nigeria’s East soon after the Civil War. Like those itchy invaders, Nigerian politicians have developed a knack for infesting any structure that offers warmth, regardless of how crowded or uncomfortable it becomes.
Politics in Nigeria has become a “kwarikwata” ecosystem: an itchy, frantic struggle for blood and survival where the host (the people) is secondary to the parasite’s need to stay fed.
Chinda’s presence at the APC screening is the ultimate itch that the PDP cannot scratch away. It signals a desperation for self-preservation that transcends ideology, manifestos, or even basic logic.
The Wike factor: One harem, two houses
It is no secret that Chinda is a core loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. As the Wike-Fubara feud continues to incinerate the political landscape of Rivers State, it appears the “Wike harem” has decided that if the PDP house is too hot, they will simply annex a wing of the APC.
Observers note that this is not just porting”, but it is a strategic occupation. By seeking the APC ticket while holding onto a PDP leadership position, Chinda and his cohorts are performing a high-wire act of political gymnastics. They are protecting their territory, their grip on Rivers State, by ensuring they have a foot in every door, even if it means kicking those doors down.
The desperation of the Harem
Why would a Minority Leader risk such a public spectacle? The answer lies in the primal instinct of the Nigerian political class: self-survival.
The harem mentality: In the fight to protect their political fiefdoms, loyalty is not to a party, but to the “Oga” who guarantees the next meal.
Tactical shamelessness: In the 2027 cycle, being shameless is a prerequisite for success. To the Nigerian politician, a shameful act is losing power. Everything else is just a maneuver.
“They are fighting for their political lives,” says one analyst who requested anonymity. “To them, the APC and PDP are just two different labels on the same bottle of palm wine. They will drink from whichever one is closest to the table.”
Katakata on the horizon
As the screening continues, the atmosphere in Abuja remains thick with tension. If the man leading the opposition is already being measured for the ruling party’s uniform, one wonders who is actually left to oppose anything.
The 2027 elections are shaping up to be less of a democratic contest and more of a “kwarikwata” infestation, where the bugs move from bed to bed, leaving the electorate itchy, tired, and wondering when the scratching will finally stop.
For now, Hon. Kingsley Chinda remains the Minority Leader in name, but his heart, and his gubernatorial hopes, seem to have found a new, “progressive” home. In the wild world of Nigerian politics, the only thing more certain than change is the desperation to stay the same.
Will the PDP leadership finally move to fumigate its house, or has the “kwarikwata” already taken over the entire building?
