Dispute with Governor Fubara Resolved – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday night confirmed that the long-standing political dispute between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been resolved.

This followed a high-level peace meeting convened by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking with journalists after the closed-door meeting, Wike announced that both camps had reached a final agreement to end all hostilities and unite in the interest of the state.

“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us. We are members of the same political family,” Wike said.

He acknowledged the months-long crisis but described the agreement reached Thursday night as “conclusive.”

“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement.
And that has been finally concluded today, and we have come to report to Mr. President, that is what we have agreed.
So for me, everything is over,” he added.

Calling for calm and reconciliation among their political followers, Wike urged all parties to close ranks.

“And I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us, to also work together with everybody, that there’s no more acrimony. There’s nothing to say.”

In his own remarks, Governor Siminalayi Fubara described the peace accord as a divine intervention and a turning point for the state.

“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. For me, it’s very important that this day has come to be,” Fubara stated.

He underscored the importance of unity for the development of Rivers State.

“What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, this night, with the help of Mr. President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned in Rivers State.”

Fubara also pledged to protect and uphold the peace achieved during the meeting.

“We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around.”

The feud between Wike and Fubara—his political protégé—began shortly after the latter assumed office in May 2023. Tensions escalated in October when lawmakers loyal to Wike in the Rivers State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.

In response, the governor ordered the demolition of the Assembly complex after a suspicious fire incident, relocating legislative sessions to temporary facilities.

What followed was months of political deadlock, marked by power struggles and governance setbacks. President Tinubu initially brokered a fragile peace deal in December 2023, which saw Fubara conceding several political appointments to Wike’s loyalists. However, the arrangement later collapsed.

The renewed crisis prompted President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025, citing deteriorating security and administrative paralysis. This declaration resulted in the temporary suspension of the governor’s executive powers for six months and the appointment of a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), former Chief of Naval Staff.

The Thursday reconciliation now offers a new window of political stability for Rivers State, with stakeholders hopeful that the unity pact will hold this time.

VANGUARD