Dissent and State Excesses in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The collapse of the informal alliance between the Federal Government and ethnic minorities of the Niger Delta brought significant changes in their modes of power relations. The alliance had developed as a form of buffer against Igbo hegemony and domination over these minorities. The passing of a vote of no confidence on the alliance by the minorities was largely connected, then, as now, to oil and environmental politics and attendant distributive politics that place the minorities at the mercy of the government. These underscore the resort to dissent and excesses by the Niger Delta and the state, respectively. This article explores the rise and fall of the alliance and attendant intrigues. It illustrates the character of dissent and state excesses as well as their accomplishments and failures. It concludes that the resort to dissent by the minorities and excesses by the state has had mixed outcomes, making it difficult for both parties to fully actualize their goals. Finally, the article suggests the need to address the roots of observable contradictions, which lie in the asymmetrical system of power relations engendered by oil, environmental, and distributive politics. This calls for devising an acceptable and equitable method of power sharing and revenue allocation predicated on fairness, equity, and social justice.