By Obinna Uballa
President Bola Tinubu has again intervened in the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, directing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to halt any impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and seek an immediate truce.
The latest presidential intervention follows months of failed reconciliation efforts that pushed the oil-rich state into legislative paralysis, impeachment threats and, at one point, a six-month state of emergency declared by Tinubu on March 18, 2025.
ThisDay Newspaper reported, quoting multiple sources familiar with the development, that the president moved decisively just before departing for an official visit to Türkiye on January 26, laying down conditions aimed at restoring political stability in a state considered crucial to his 2027 re-election calculations.
According to the sources, Tinubu told Wike to immediately suspend all impeachment-related actions against Fubara, warning that continued hostilities would further destabilise governance in Rivers State.
However, the intervention also came with firm expectations for the governor.
Tinubu was said to have made it clear to Fubara that Wike remains the dominant political figure in Rivers politics and should be accorded due respect, regardless of party affiliations.
“The president drew a parallel with Lagos politics,” one source said, quoting Tinubu as asking: “Is Babajide Sanwo-Olu my leader in Lagos, or was Babatunde Fashola my leader when he was governor?”
The remark, sources said, was meant to emphasise the place of political seniority and hierarchy in party affairs.
Fubara and Wike’s relationship deteriorated barely months after the governor’s inauguration in May 2023, despite Wike’s role in facilitating his emergence as successor. The governor’s attempts to assert independence reportedly triggered resistance from Wike’s loyalists, who control the majority in the State House of Assembly.
The rift soon escalated into impeachment threats, parallel political structures, and repeated failed peace meetings, culminating in the declaration of emergency rule in the state last year.
While Wike’s allies accuse Fubara of betrayal, the governor’s camp argues that Rivers State cannot be controlled from Abuja by a former governor now serving as minister.
As part of the fresh peace arrangement, Tinubu was said to have directed that internal party disputes in Rivers State must ultimately defer to Wike’s authority as political leader.
Sources also revealed that the arrangement extends to the upcoming House of Assembly bye-elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, in Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies.
Tinubu reportedly directed that candidates loyal to Wike be recognised by the APC structure for the two vacant seats.
The Ahoada East II seat became vacant following the resignation of Edison Ehie, who was appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, while the Khana II seat has been vacant since the death of its lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.
Discussions around Fubara’s second-term ambition were said to have come up but were deliberately set aside, with the president reportedly describing any talk about the 2027 governorship race in Rivers as premature.
Tinubu had previously brokered a peace deal between the two men in December 2023, which later collapsed, setting the stage for the crisis that followed.
