The Power of Power: A Reflection on Authority and Control
The final season of Game of Thrones ended with a whimper, but its peak offered one of the most iconic discussions on power. In Season Two, Episode One, Cersei Lannister, the Queen, and Littlefinger, the spymaster, exchanged words that revealed the essence of power. Littlefinger argued that knowledge is power, as he possessed information about the queen that she would not want made public. Cersei, however, demonstrated her own cunning by ordering her guards to seize him and slit his throat—only to stop them at the last moment. She then commanded them to release him and issued further orders before declaring, “Power is power.”
This scene resonates with the recent altercation between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer, Lt. AM Yerima. It brings to mind the question of how power is used and misused in Nigeria. The encounter should not have occurred if the law had been properly followed, but it also highlights the broader issues surrounding the abuse of authority.
Internalized Attitudes Toward Power
Over the years, Nigerians have internalized certain attitudes and behaviors that shape how they navigate conflicts. At the heart of these conflicts is the belief that might is right—a concept that has long plagued the nation. As the FCT Minister, Wike has the legal authority to revoke land ownership within the Federal Capital Territory and assign it as he sees fit. This power is not in question here. However, there are concerns about how far he has stretched this authority, particularly through a wave of land revocations in the capital.
Wike’s history of overextending his powers is well-documented. In 2016, while serving as governor of Rivers State, he physically blocked officers from the Directorate of State Services (DSS) from performing their duties during a raid on Port Harcourt residences of judges suspected of corruption. He called the DSS’s actions “impunity” and prevented the officers from executing their task. While it is unclear whether the DSS had warrants for the operation, the incident raises questions about the balance of power and accountability.
Overstepping Boundaries
Could the same argument be made about Wike’s interference with his successor, Siminalayi Fubara? Wike openly threatened Fubara with impeachment, leading to his suspension from office for six months. This was a brazen display of power, where Wike ignored legal precedents and used his position to oust a sitting governor elected by the people of the state.
Given this history, it is no surprise that Nigerians celebrated Lt. Yerima’s defiance against Wike. For many, the young military officer became a symbol of resistance against what they saw as intimidation by the minister. However, this celebration overlooks the misuse of power on both sides that led to the confrontation.
The Role of the Military
Yerima was acting on orders from his superiors, which is part of his training. Nowhere in his service code was he instructed to take orders from Barr. Wike, who is not his superior or commanding officer. While Wike may hold a higher rank than the Chief of Defence Staff, the constitution does not authorize him to command troops. If he could use his position to have Yerima’s superior issue a new order, that would be different. But asking the soldier to disobey a direct order from his commanding officer is a misuse of power and a violation of the military’s chain of command.
In truth, there may be no fault in Yerima standing his ground, but there is a problem with why he was in that situation in the first place. Why is the military being deployed to guard private property? This question is critical, especially when considering the recent case where a soldier was assigned to chase thieves stealing chickens from a senior officer’s farm. The pursuit led to an accident that ended the soldier’s career, highlighting how the military is often used for tasks that should fall under civilian responsibility.
The Militarization of Nigerian Society
Since the military’s incursion into civil spaces in 1966, we have faced the consequences of this involvement, not only in politics but also in private disputes. Soldiers have been called into land disputes, domestic altercations, and even fights over personal property. The militarization of Nigeria has created a culture where brute force is often preferred over dialogue, and where the language of power is deeply ingrained.
This culture has influenced politicians, who have adopted a militaristic approach to governance when convenient. Instead of using nuance and dialogue, they often resort to brute force, especially when dealing with dissent or opposition. This is evident in the way some leaders speak, using abrasive and assertive language rather than courteous communication.
The Language of Power
As Pierre Bourdieu, the renowned French sociologist, explained, power reproduces social hierarchies through internalized practices and cultural capital. Language is a key component of this cultural capital, and the military has long used it to assert dominance over civilians. Those aspiring to power have internalized this discourse style, shaping how they interact with others.
In the case of Wike and Yerima, both parties have differing ideas of who holds the power. For a soldier raised in an institution with a history of subverting democratic institutions, there are internalized attitudes that influence his actions. Even though Yerima remained professional and firm, the institution he represents seems to endorse his behavior.
A Call for Change
These confrontations highlight our attitudes toward power: who has it, and who can deploy it. Having one form of power does not exempt one from the reach of another, as Littlefinger discovered when Cersei ordered her guards to put a knife to his throat.
It is fortunate that the Wike vs. Yerima encounter did not escalate further, given the presence of guns, testosterone, and men eager to impress their ogas. However, as Nigerians celebrate a new hero for standing his ground against a minister, we must also question a system that allows soldiers to be deployed to guard chicken farms, wives, or plots of land when the country is at war.
The military must be unshackled from these civilian entanglements to effectively carry out its duties. As a matter of urgency, we must demilitarize our politics and civic culture by removing soldiers from civil spaces, training and expanding the police to fulfill their roles, and favoring decorum in interactions. Engagements should not be defined by whose ego is bruised, who has the bigger balls, or by a “do-you-know-who-I-am” mentality.
