Public Work or Defiance?

In a country where power often speaks louder than law, the recent confrontation between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a Naval officer did more than spark an argument. It stirred something deeper about how Nigerians now see authority.

The video showed what many described as an altercation: Wike visibly angry, the naval officer standing firm, refusing to yield. In a different setting, it might have been a routine exchange of hierarchy. But Nigeria is no longer a place where power goes unquestioned, and that made the moment explode into fascination and quiet applause.

Between Law and Ego

Inside military circles, there is a colloquial expression called “Two Fighting”. It is not a written law, but a saying, used when a senior officer assaults a junior one without legal justification or outside military boundaries. It captures a simple truth whispered in the barracks: rank may command obedience, but it should never erase dignity.

Yet, this was not two fighting. This was a civilian political authority confronting a uniformed officer, a delicate space between governance and discipline, between civil power and uniformed restraint.

By law, Ministers direct policies, not soldiers. The Armed Forces Act makes clear that obedience belongs within a defined chain of command. So while Wike may have carried political weight, the officer’s calm refusal stood on the firmer ground of legality, and perhaps morality too.

Still, power has its own dialect, and sometimes ego translates it louder than law.

The Street’s Verdict

If the law spoke in nuance, the people spoke in certainty. Nigerians did not see a minister enforcing order. They saw a man in power trying to impose himself, and a naval officer who refused to bow.

Across motor parks, offices, and social media timelines, one thing was constant: Admiration. Not necessarily for defiance, but for composure. The officer’s restraint felt like a collective release, the kind that says, “At least someone stood up today.”

It was not rebellion they saw. It was representation. For once, someone in uniform seemed to mirror the quiet dignity Nigerians wish their leaders would show.

The Weight of Punishment

Yet, within the military, hierarchy remains sacred. Technically, the officer could face disciplinary action, not for fighting, but for the embarrassment the episode brought.

But here is where the lines blur again: when a man in uniform is punished for restraint, the public does not see discipline. They see injustice. And in a country already brimming with silent anger, such a message can ripple far beyond the barracks.

Because military men are Nigerians too. Their uniforms may set them apart, but their frustrations are rooted in the same soil. When one of them is made a scapegoat for showing composure, the people watching from the sidelines feel it personally. Their silence starts to sound like protest waiting for a trigger.

Sometimes it takes very little for collective irritation to turn into open defiance, not from hate, but from exhaustion.

The Balance We Need

Moments like this test more than authority; they test perception. They force a country to ask if power can coexist with fairness.

What the situation needs is not punishment or spectacle, but Arbitration, the kind that listens before it judges. Because the more openly government can resolve such tensions, the more quietly the people begin to believe again.

Arbitration here is not just about a verdict; it is about trust. It is the government telling its citizens, “We can be firm without being cruel.” That message alone can hold back the tide of cynicism rising in the hearts of those who have stopped expecting justice to ever look familiar.

Beneath the Outburst

This incident was never about a fence, a title, or a patch of land. It was about something far more human, the way Nigerians now relate to those who hold authority over them.

They are not anti-leadership. They are simply weary of the kind that confuses service with status.

That is why Wike’s anger did not register as zeal for order, but as the old sound of entitlement. And why the naval officer’s restraint felt like a glimpse of the Nigeria people still hope for, a place where discipline and dignity do not cancel each other out.

The Echo

Maybe this was not about who was right or wrong. Maybe it was about what happens when power finally meets a kind of calm it cannot command.

Because in that brief standoff, Nigerians did not just see an officer.

They saw themselves, standing tall, unarmed, but finally unwilling to move.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced that the previously proposed 15 per cent ad-valorem import duty on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) will no longer be implemented.

George Ene-Ita, Director of the Public Affairs Department at NMDPRA, issued the update on Wednesday, urging the public to avoid panic buying of petroleum products.

The import tariff had been approved by President Bola Tinubu on October 29, following a submission from the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji. The proposal sought to apply a 15 per cent duty on the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value of imported petrol and diesel, aiming to align import costs with domestic market realities. Implementation was originally scheduled to begin on November 21, 2025.

In its statement, NMDPRA clarified that the government is no longer pursuing the implementation of the fuel import duty. “It should also be noted that the implementation of the 15% ad-valorem import duty on imported Premium Motor Spirit and Diesel is no longer in View,” the agency stated.

The authority also assured Nigerians that the country has an adequate supply of petroleum products, meeting the national sufficiency threshold, even during this period of peak demand.

This suspension comes amid concerns from stakeholders about potential price increases and market disruptions that could have resulted from the import duty. The NMDPRA emphasized that the move is aimed at maintaining stability in fuel supply and preventing undue hardship for consumers.

President Tinubu’s initial approval had reflected a broader policy to regulate fuel imports and align them with domestic economic realities, but the suspension indicates a recalibration in response to public and market considerations.

NMDPRA continues to monitor the fuel market to ensure sufficient supply and smooth distribution across the country, urging citizens to adhere to official guidance and avoid hoarding.

The Director of Mobilisation for the Obidient Movement, Morris Monye, has resigned from his position, citing poor coordination within the group and the strain of personally funding its activities.

In a statement released via his X handle on Thursday, Monye expressed frustration over what he described as weak organisational structure and lack of support from the movement’s leadership, which he said led to a poor outing in the recently concluded Anambra governorship election.

Monye stated, “Almost a year down the line, most of our short, medium, and long-term plans have not been met. I won’t be part of optics and no work. The poor showing at the Anambra election has also made my position untenable.”

He disclosed that he had personally financed the group’s nationwide mobilisation drives, covering travel expenses, voter awareness campaigns, local structure support, and logistics — all without any financial assistance from the leadership or the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Monye added, “No money was given to the Directorate of Mobilisation. There’s no bank account even for the directorate. In fact, Mr Peter Obi has never asked what we are doing in mobilisation — no communication, nothing.”

The former director also alleged that his role attracted harassment and intimidation from government supporters and security agencies. He said the constant pressure and lack of security took a toll on him and his family.

“It’s a role that paints a target on your back. I’ve had to remain silent so as not to discourage anyone or appear to be complaining, but it has taken a toll on me and my family, who can hardly understand it all,” he stated.

Monye highlighted several of his contributions to the movement, including creating an online registration platform for members, reviving inactive support groups, setting up regional and local offices, and launching the Obidient NextGen university campus network.

He noted that he also helped raise campaign funds for the Obidient candidate in the Anambra election and began an initiative to equip polling unit agents with affordable body cameras for transparency — a project he urged his successor to complete.

According to him, “The next director must follow up on this. We have not closed it out yet. You can’t run a campaign simply from general goodwill. This is not 2023. The element of surprise is gone.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Monye described his service in the Obidient Movement as a “privilege” but said it was time for “someone else to carry the mantle.”

Morris Monye, known as one of the movement’s prominent figures, played a key role in its early mobilisation phase. The Obidient Movement, inspired by Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, evolved into a grassroots political force largely driven by youthful supporters and social media advocacy.

As of press time, the leadership of the movement, including the National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, had yet to issue a response to Monye’s resignation or the concerns he raised.