Rivers Reconciliation Deepens as Wike, Fubara Meet in Port Harcourt After Bitter Political War

• FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hosted Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara at his Port Harcourt residence on Sunday, in their first reported meeting since Fubara withdrew from the 2027 governorship race.

• The meeting marks a fresh step in the reconciliation between the former allies after a bitter political crisis that fractured the Rivers political establishment and strained their relationship.

• Fubara has abandoned his second-term bid, joined the APC-backed political alignment and endorsed Wike-supported governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda for the 2027 election.

• The Wike-Fubara feud had triggered impeachment proceedings against the governor and contributed to President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.

August 31, () — The reconciliation between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, gathered fresh momentum on Sunday as the governor visited the former governor at his residence in Port Harcourt.

The meeting is the first reported encounter between Wike and Fubara since the governor withdrew from the 2027 Rivers State governorship contest, effectively ending his bid for a second term in office.

Wike was accompanied to the meeting by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, and the Chairman of the Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee, Magnus Abe.

Fubara, on his part, was accompanied by former APC Deputy National Chairman, Sam Jaja.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the bitter political war between Wike and Fubara, whose relationship deteriorated shortly after the governor assumed office in 2023.

The rift polarised the state’s political landscape, with lawmakers loyal to Wike initiating impeachment proceedings against the governor on several occasions, while rival camps battled for control of political structures and state institutions.

The prolonged crisis eventually attracted national attention and prompted the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, whose peace initiative paved the way for reconciliation between the two political leaders.

Wike had recently declared that his political disagreement with Fubara was over, saying the governor had agreed to return to the political family that supported his emergence as governor in 2023.

Following the declaration, a Reconciliation Committee of the Rainbow Coalition led by Senator Magnus Abe, was constituted to engage Fubara and his supporters as part of efforts to consolidate the truce.

Fubara subsequently aligned with the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition and declared his support for the political group ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also endorsed Kingsley Chinda as his preferred candidate for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election and urged his supporters to back President Bola Tinubu for another term in office, as well as candidates of the political coalition.

The governor had earlier been screened alongside Chinda ahead of the APC governorship primary in Rivers State. However, he later withdrew from the contest, citing the need to promote peace and unity in the state.

The development marked a dramatic turn in the political fortunes of Fubara, who had previously been at the centre of a fierce struggle with the political structure controlled by Wike.

Fubara’s visit to Wike on Sunday, therefore, represents a significant public manifestation of the rapprochement between the two men and their respective political camps.

The presence of Chinda and Abe at the meeting further underscored the political dimension of the reconciliation process, particularly as the emerging alliance takes shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.