The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday night confirmed that his political dispute with Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been resolved following a peace meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the closed-door meeting, Wike announced that both factions had reached a final understanding to end the feud and collaborate going forward.
“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 stated.
He admitted that the crisis had dragged on for months but described Thursday’s resolution as final.
“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.
Urging supporters to embrace the peace deal, he added, “And I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us, to also work together with everybody, that there’s no more acrimony. There’s nothing to say.”
Governor Siminalayi Fubara also confirmed the truce, describing it as divine intervention and a significant turning point for Rivers 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 remarked.
Stressing the importance of unity for the state’s progress, he said, “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 further pledged to safeguard the peace achieved, stating, “We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around.”
The dispute between Wike and his political protégé, Governor Fubara, began shortly after Fubara took office in May 2023.
The situation escalated in October 2023 when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly aligned with Wike initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
In retaliation, the governor demolished the Assembly complex after a suspicious fire incident and relocated legislative activities to a temporary venue.
In the months that followed, the power struggle deepened, plunging the state into a governance crisis.
In December 2023, President Tinubu stepped in to broker a fragile ceasefire, leading to a peace arrangement where Fubara conceded several political appointments to Wike’s loyalists.
However, the truce collapsed, reigniting the conflict, which prompted President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.
The declaration temporarily suspended Fubara’s executive powers for an initial six months, citing escalating insecurity and administrative gridlock. Tinubu appointed a sole administrator, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), to oversee the state during that period.