Rivers 2027: Wike, Fubara meet in Port Harcourt as political truce deepens

The political reconciliation between former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, received a fresh boost on Sunday as the two met at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt.

The meeting is the first between Wike and Fubara since the Rivers governor disclosed that he would not contest the 2027 governorship election.

Wike arrived for the meeting with the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, as well as Magnus Abe, who heads the Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee.

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

The encounter is part of ongoing efforts to consolidate a political truce between the two men after a bitter dispute that plunged Rivers State into months of political uncertainty.

Wike and Fubara, who were once political allies, fell out shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023. Their disagreement subsequently escalated into a major political crisis involving the governor, the state House of Assembly and political loyalists on both sides.

Lawmakers aligned with Wike eventually commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara, while the wider crisis contributed to President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in the state.

A political settlement was later reached, paving the way for renewed cooperation between the two camps.

Under the emerging arrangement, Fubara joined the APC and aligned himself with the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition.

Wike subsequently announced that the feud between him and Fubara had ended, saying Fubara had agreed to return to the political family that backed his emergence as governor in 2023.

A reconciliation committee headed by Abe was then established to engage with Fubara and his supporters as part of efforts to cement the agreement.

Fubara has since thrown his weight behind the Rainbow Coalition and endorsed Kingsley Chinda as his preferred candidate to succeed him as Rivers governor in 2027.

The latest meeting between Wike and Fubara is expected to further strengthen the reconciliation process and reshape political alignments in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

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