In a week that pulled the curtain back on Nigeria’s crumbling political values and fragile security architecture, the nation witnessed a disturbing mix of state failure and elite betrayal. In Zamfara, farmers were slaughtered and vigilantes killed by a misdirected military airstrike.
Meanwhile, in Abuja and beyond, political actors, from Nyesom Wike to Umo Eno, continued the ritual dance of cross-party allegiance, exposing the irrelevance of party ideology. The State Security Service moved to muzzle dissent by targeting Pat Utomi’s call for a shadow government, while the Ijaw National Congress declared that party loyalty is dead.
If one theme ties the week together, it’s the unchecked erosion of political integrity, whether through silence, complicity or opportunism.
1. Zamfara: Jet Kills Vigilantes as Bandits Slaughter Farmers
Armed bandits stormed Mani community in Maru LGA, killing over 20 farmers and kidnapping more than 50 villagers. In an attempt to repel the attackers, a Nigerian military jet mistakenly bombed local vigilantes who had come to defend their community. As of press time, the government has issued no official statement.
Why it Matters:
This recurring headline highlights a troubling pattern. It raises concerns over whether the Air Force has learned from past errors of mistakenly bombing vigilantes. The incident exposes deeper intelligence and coordination failures in Nigeria’s security architecture. When citizens step in to defend their communities due to state absence, and the state ends up harming them, public trust in government deteriorates even further.
2. Wike: I’ll Lead Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike openly declared he would lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027, despite being a PDP member. His defiance of party lines follows a pattern of open rebellion since 2023, when he supported Tinubu over PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.
Why it Matters:
Wike’s defiance shatters what remains of party discipline in the PDP and reinforces the erosion of ideological commitment in Nigerian politics. His position highlights the mockery of party discipline in Nigeria. It also signals the deep fracture within the PDP and a possible realignment of Rivers State politics ahead of 2027. More broadly, it shows that in Nigeria’s power game, ideology is expendable, loyalty is transactional.
3. SSS Moves to Block Pat Utomi’s Shadow Govt Plans
The State Security Service (SSS) filed an injunction to bar Pat Utomi from promoting a shadow government. Utomi had announced plans for civic mobilisation, lectures, and rallies in support of a parallel leadership model. The SSS argued his actions could threaten public order and security.
Why it Matters:
While the SSS may argue it is acting in line with national interest, the move sets a precedent for framing non-violent political advocacy as a threat. Utomi’s idea may not have widespread support, but seeking to shut it down through the courts suggests an intolerance for alternative civic expression. In a country that claims to practise democracy, this raises questions about how far dissent can go before it’s treated as a legal offence.
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4. Umo Eno Defects to APC: ‘I Believe in Tinubu’
Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno officially dumped the PDP for the APC, calling President Tinubu a “bold reformer” and describing his defection as a “Sallah gift.” Eno praised Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating that increased federal allocations were now driving development in the state.
Why it Matters:
Governor Eno’s switch is a significant gain for the APC in the South-South and a further blow to the PDP. This defection underscores a growing trend: loyalty follows patronage. Eno’s shift is less ideological and more strategic, signalling how proximity to federal power drives political migration. It also reinforces the APC’s growing dominance and the erosion of viable opposition structures in the South-South.
5. INC President: Party Loyalty is Dead in Nigeria
INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba defended Governor Fubara’s potential move to the APC, describing party loyalty in Nigeria as obsolete. He said political parties now serve as platforms of convenience, not ideology, and noted that even Tinubu could switch parties if it suited him.
Why it Matters:
Okaba’s remarks reflect a grim truth: Nigeria’s democracy has become a personality-driven theatre devoid of ideological substance. His frank admission underscores the hollow nature of Nigerian party politics, where political defection is seen as normal and parties as disposable. As cross-carpeting becomes routine, it foreshadows a 2027 race shaped more by strategic manoeuvres than any genuine commitment to policy or ideology.
Conclusion:
This week’s events laid bare the multiple fractures weakening Nigeria’s political and security architecture. From accidental killings in Zamfara to deliberate realignments in Abuja, the erosion of accountability, ideology, and strategic coherence continues. The lines between party and personality, security and danger, dissent and disloyalty, are now blurred.
Where bombs fall on allies, politicians switch sides without consequence, and reformers are treated as threats, what remains is a country governed by shifting loyalties, not shared vision.
As the 2027 race looms, Nigerians face a system increasingly shaped by expediency rather than principle, and that uncertainty may be the greatest threat of all.