Wike, Rivers Lawmakers, 23 Council Chairmen Meet Fubara Again as Reconciliation Push Gains Momentum

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and chairmen of the state’s 23 local government areas to another meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in a renewed effort to consolidate reconciliation between the two political camps.

The meeting, held at Fubara’s private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday, October 18, 2026, came less than two weeks after political leaders loyal to Wike and the governor held an earlier engagement at the same venue. The latest gathering signals continued efforts to ease tensions that have shaped Rivers State politics for more than three years.

Among those who accompanied Wike were Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and Kingsley Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state for the 2027 election. The 23 local government council chairmen and other political associates were also part of the delegation.

The engagement is part of ongoing moves to rebuild relations between Wike and Fubara, whose political disagreement has divided the state’s leadership and strained relations between the governor and members of the state legislature. Although the latest meeting points to continued dialogue, the durability of the reconciliation will depend on how outstanding political differences are addressed.

Wike had recently announced that the prolonged feud had come to an end, claiming that Fubara had agreed to return to the political family that backed his emergence as governor in 2023. Following the announcement, a reconciliation committee led by Magnus Abe, chairman of the Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee, was constituted to engage the governor and his supporters.

Fubara has since declared support for the Rainbow Coalition and endorsed Chinda as his preferred successor in the 2027 governorship election. The development represents a significant shift in the political calculations surrounding the next governorship contest, particularly given the earlier disagreement between the governor and the political structure associated with his predecessor.

The governor had initially been screened alongside Chinda ahead of the APC governorship primary but later withdrew from the race, explaining that his decision was intended to promote peace and unity in Rivers State. Chinda subsequently emerged as the party’s sole governorship candidate, placing him at the centre of the emerging political arrangement.

The crisis between Wike and Fubara began shortly after the governor assumed office in 2023. It escalated into a wider confrontation involving the executive arm and a faction of the state House of Assembly loyal to Wike. In October 2023, a fire damaged part of the Assembly complex amid the political dispute, while lawmakers subsequently initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor.

The prolonged confrontation eventually prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025. The measure resulted in the suspension of Fubara, his deputy and members of the state House of Assembly for the duration of the emergency administration. The elected officials later returned to office after the emergency rule ended.

With another meeting now held between the two camps, attention is turning to whether the renewed engagement will produce a lasting political settlement and establish a workable relationship among the governor, lawmakers and local government leaders. The outcome could also influence political alignments and negotiations ahead of the 2027 elections, although the latest meeting alone does not establish that all outstanding differences have been resolved.