Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, declared on Thursday night that the political schism between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara had been healed following a peace meeting sponsored by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists following the closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Wike stated that both camps had achieved an agreement to halt hostilities and work together.
“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us. We are members of the same political family,” Wike said.
Wike acknowledged that the political crisis had lingered for months but described the Thursday agreement as conclusive.
“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement.
“And that has been finally concluded today, and we have come to report to Mr President; that is what we have agreed. So for me, everything is over,” he said.
Calling for peace among political followers, he continued, “And I enjoin everybody who believes in working with us to work together with everyone so that there is no more acrimony.” “There is nothing to say.”
Meanwhile, Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, acknowledged the truce, calling it a supernatural intervention and a critical turning point for the state.
“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. For me, it’s very important that this day has come to be,” Fubara said.
Fubara emphasised the need for peace for Rivers State’s development, noting that “What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, this night, with the help of Mr President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned in Rivers State.”
Fubara also reaffirmed his complete dedication to sustaining the fragile unity achieved during the presidential peace meeting, saying, “We’ll do everything in our power to ensure that we maintain it this time around.”
The feud between Wike and his political godson, Fubara, began soon after the latter took office in May 2023.
Tensions rose in October when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who supported Wike launched impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
In response to a suspicious fire, the governor demolished the Assembly complex and relocated parliamentary meetings to temporary quarters.
In December 2023, President Tinubu intervened to facilitate a fragile truce that led to a peace deal in which Fubara conceded several political appointments to Wike’s loyalists.
However, the agreement broke down, and the conflict resurfaced, culminating in President Tinubu declaring a state of emergency on March 18, 2025.
The president’s declaration suspended the governor’s executive powers for an initial period of six months, citing rising insecurity and administrative paralysis.
He installed a sole administrator, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.).
