Nigeria’s developmental problems are intimately tied to the kind of political system it operates under which in most cases is marked with patronage networks, godfatherism, elite domination and political violence. Such dynamics, akin to political captivation- control of public institutions and governance by individuals or groups, serves private interests rather than the public interest. Perhaps mothering captures the workings of political captivity and its impact on development like the case of Rivers State, Nigeria’s third most capitalized states after Lagos and Abuja. Despite the state generating significant revenue from petroleum resources, persistent governance crises, political instability and socio-economic inequality continue to plague the state. Here, we explore the link between political captivity and improvement of the state, examining how the activities of elite involvement into politics affect democratic values to undermine sustainable development in the state. Qualitative content analysis was adopted for the study. Findings of this study includes: that the political overshadowing by elites reveals that resources meant sustainable development of the state are misappropriated, the activities of the elites has also intensifies upheaval in the Niger Delta region creating serious insecurity challenges. The study recommended among others that democratic institutions should be strengthened, concerted reforms to take place in the electoral laws and body to checkmate corruption by the political players and lastly, the economy to be diversified to curb high contestations in politics.