President Bola Tinubu has once again stepped in to arrest the deepening political crisis in Rivers State, ordering an immediate halt to impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara while imposing stringent conditions aimed at restoring stability.
The renewed intervention follows months of failed reconciliation efforts between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, whose bitter fallout had pushed the state to the brink of legislative paralysis, governance breakdown, and prolonged instability.
Tinubu had earlier brokered a fragile peace between both men in December 2023, an agreement that soon collapsed and culminated in the declaration of a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, alongside the suspension of the governor.
In the latest attempt to defuse what insiders describe as one of Nigeria’s most volatile political feuds in recent times, the president directed that all impeachment proceedings against Fubara be suspended with immediate effect. However, the reprieve came with clear political demands.
Highly placed sources familiar with the talks told THISDAY that Tinubu, acting shortly before his official trip to Türkiye on January 26, laid out non-negotiable terms designed to reset the balance of power in Rivers State—widely regarded as strategic to his 2027 re-election calculations.
Central to the president’s directive was a blunt message to Governor Fubara: Nyesom Wike remains the undisputed political leader in Rivers State, regardless of party platform, and must be accorded full recognition and respect in that role.
Sources said Tinubu expressed visible displeasure over the persistence of the feud despite earlier interventions, warning that continued hostilities would further erode governance and destabilise the state—an outcome he said his administration would not tolerate.
As part of the concessions demanded, Fubara was reportedly required to formally recognise Wike as the state’s political leader with final authority over party affairs.
Tinubu, the sources said, stressed that all internal party disputes in Rivers State must ultimately defer to Wike’s position.
The arrangement, however, underscores a complex political contradiction. While Wike serves as a powerful minister in the APC-led federal government, he remains officially a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State—a position he has been accused of using to weaken the PDP from within.
The understanding also extends to the forthcoming Rivers State House of Assembly bye-elections.
Tinubu reportedly directed the APC leadership to recognise candidates loyal to Wike for the two vacant seats.
According to a source, it was “explicitly stated” that Wike has nominated two candidates who must be adopted by the party structure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the bye-elections for February 21, 2026, covering the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies.
The Ahoada East II seat became vacant following the resignation of its lawmaker, Edison Ehie, who was appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, while the Khana II seat has remained vacant since the death of its representative, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.
Sources further disclosed that discussions briefly touched on Governor Fubara’s second-term ambition.
However, Tinubu reportedly dismissed the issue as premature, insisting that talks around the 2027 governorship race in Rivers State were too early.
Source: ARISE NEWS
