Wike, Fubara Meet Over Reconciliation Talks

The political crisis that once divided Rivers State appeared to take another step towards resolution on Sunday as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held a private meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Port Harcourt.

Fubara visited Wike at his residence in the state capital, accompanied by former Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Sam Sam Jaja.

The meeting also had in attendance the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, and former senator Magnus Abe, who heads the Rainbow Coalition Reconciliation Committee.

The encounter came at a time of renewed speculation about the state of the reconciliation between Wike and Fubara, following reports that disagreements among members of their respective camps were threatening to slow down the peace process.

Rather than signalling the end of the reconciliation effort, however, the meeting suggests that discussions aimed at bringing the two political camps together are still ongoing.

The encounter was also the first reported direct meeting between Wike and Fubara since the governor dropped his plan to seek another term in office in the 2027 governorship election.

The political relationship between the two men became strained after Fubara succeeded Wike as governor in 2023. What began as a disagreement between political allies developed into a major crisis involving the governor, the State House of Assembly and competing political camps.

At the height of the dispute, lawmakers aligned with Wike began impeachment proceedings against Fubara. The situation deteriorated further before President Bola Tinubu intervened and declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.

A political settlement subsequently brought a temporary end to the confrontation, with Fubara later moving into the APC camp and openly supporting the Rainbow Coalition backed by Wike and his allies.

Fubara’s decision to abandon his 2027 re-election ambition has further reshaped the political situation in the state and removed one of the major issues that had previously fuelled speculation about the rivalry between the two camps.

The governor had earlier made his position clear when he publicly announced his return to the political family associated with Wike.

“I am already in the family. I have returned to our family. Give your total support to the coalition. The time of war is over; it is now time for peace, and that peace will take us to another level,” Fubara said.

He also promised not to participate in activities capable of reopening the conflict.

“I am not party to anything that will bring any form of disunity in this state. We have done what we need to do, and now we are moving forward,” he added.

Wike subsequently welcomed the governor’s decision, rejecting the argument that Fubara needed to apologise for returning to the political structure that supported his emergence as governor.

“I don’t know what you mean by sin. In politics, there is no sin. If someone realises they made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that. Politics is not a sin. What matters is recognising that you were on the wrong path and making the right decision,” Wike said.

The meeting between the two leaders followed several engagements by the reconciliation committee led by Abe, which has been attempting to bring former opponents back into the same political fold.

Abe had previously said the committee’s discussions with Fubara were making progress and insisted that reconciliation was not intended to discriminate against people because of the positions they took during the crisis.

“I’m sure that Rivers people will be very curious to understand exactly what we have been talking about,” Abe said after one of the meetings.

He continued, “So, I know that this will be very good news for all Rivers people who are interested in the unity, progress and prosperity of Rivers State. We are all in agreement, and we have made very good progress.”

Abe described the development as a significant change in the state’s political atmosphere, saying the objective was to restore the peace that Rivers residents had been demanding.

“Our coming together signals a significant shift in the political atmosphere of the state, and we believe that all well-meaning Rivers people will be very happy to see that finally, the peace that all Rivers people crave is here,” he said.

Another member of the political camp, Samuel Nwanosike, also expressed optimism about the reconciliation after an earlier meeting with Fubara.

“I’m so excited. The last meeting went well. Today’s meeting went extraordinarily well, and it shows clearly to the people of Rivers State that the family is back; sincerely back, and soon, they will see the working of the Rainbow Coalition,” Nwanosike said.

He added, “We will give the people of Rivers State the dividends of democracy they’ve been expecting from all angles.”

The governor’s relationship with the state legislature has also remained a subject of political discussion.

Fubara recently rejected reports that he had fallen out with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly over the delay in approving the 2026 budget.

His Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, said there was no disagreement between the governor and lawmakers.

“His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, is not at loggerheads with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, but rather working closely with them to serve the good people of Rivers State,” Nzeshi said.

Fubara had presented a N1.854 trillion budget proposal, titled the “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” to the Assembly on July 10.

The state government said the proposal remained within the normal legislative process, despite reports that political disagreements were responsible for the delay.

“The 2026 budget proposal has been presented to the House of Assembly; it is going through the normal legislative process and we strongly believe that once the process is completed, it will be passed by the lawmakers,” Nzeshi added.

The government also warned against attempts to revive political tensions in the state.

“We therefore advise all those bent on promoting negative narratives to desist from such actions forthwith, as we need peace and harmony to ensure steady development of Rivers State,” Nzeshi said.