The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and local government chairmen to meet with Governor Siminalayi Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt.
The meeting, which took place on Sunday, brought together key political figures from both camps as efforts to strengthen reconciliation in Rivers State continue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The delegation included the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, chairmen of the state’s 23 local government areas and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Kingsley Chinda.
The visit came about two weeks after Wike and other leaders of the Rainbow Coalition met with Fubara and members of his political camp to discuss ways of improving cooperation among political stakeholders in the state.
Although details of Sunday’s closed-door meeting were not made public, sources indicated that the discussions focused on sustaining reconciliation and finding ways to accommodate Fubara’s loyalists within the state’s evolving political arrangement.
The meeting is significant given the prolonged political disagreement between Fubara and the Wike-backed faction of the state legislature, which has created deep divisions within Rivers State’s political structure.
The crisis previously escalated to the point where lawmakers made attempts to impeach the governor. Tensions also contributed to the bombing of part of the state House of Assembly complex in October 2023.
In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, resulting in the suspension of the governor, his deputy and members of the state legislature. Former Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ete Ibas was subsequently appointed as the state administrator before the elected officials returned to office.
With political activities gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, the latest meeting represents another effort by influential political leaders to maintain peace and strengthen cooperation.
However, it remains unclear whether the renewed engagements will produce a lasting settlement and ensure that Fubara’s supporters are adequately represented in the emerging political arrangement.
