The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced that the political fight between him and the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, is finally over.
Wike explained that he and Fubara have already reconciled and are no longer at odds. Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, the minister said he would never talk or deal with Fubara if he had not forgiven him. According to him, “I have already said that we have been talking. I will not speak with someone I have not forgiven. Everything is now settled. I am not the type of politician who says one thing today and another thing tomorrow. We must move on.”
Even though peace has returned between him and Fubara, Wike pointed out that some people are still trying to create problems. He accused unnamed individuals of twisting the law, especially regarding the legal issues surrounding local government elections in Rivers State. He argued that these people who now talk about illegality did nothing in the past to prevent such problems from happening.
Wike also used the opportunity to thank President Bola Tinubu for stepping in to restore peace in Rivers State. He praised the president for calming the situation, despite efforts by what he described as conflict merchants who benefit from division and crisis.
The disagreement between Wike and Fubara started shortly after Fubara became governor in May 2023. By October of that year, the matter worsened when lawmakers loyal to Wike in the Rivers State House of Assembly began impeachment moves against the governor. In reaction, Governor Fubara ordered the demolition of the Assembly building after a suspicious fire incident, and lawmakers were forced to sit in temporary chambers.
As months passed, the political struggle only grew deeper, and governance in Rivers State began to suffer. To prevent a total breakdown, President Tinubu intervened in December 2023 and helped arrange a peace deal. Under this deal, Fubara had to accept several political appointments that favoured Wike’s loyalists. However, that peace did not last for long, and the conflict returned.
The situation became so serious that on March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. As part of the emergency rule, Governor Fubara’s executive powers were suspended for six months. Tinubu justified the decision by citing rising insecurity and failure of governance. During this period, he appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the sole administrator to manage the affairs of the state.
After several months, President Tinubu finally lifted the state of emergency. On Wednesday, he restored Governor Fubara back to office, bringing an end to the direct federal control of Rivers State.
