We’ve All Agreed to Work Together with Fubara – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday night confirmed that his political rift with Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been resolved. This follows a peace meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after the closed-door session, Wike said both sides had reached a final agreement to end all hostilities and collaborate.

 “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.

He admitted that the crisis had dragged on for months, but described the outcome of the meeting 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. We have come to report to Mr. President what we have agreed. So for me, everything is over.”

Wike also appealed for calm and unity among political supporters:

 “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 confirmed the truce, calling it a divine intervention and a major turning point for the state.

“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. It’s very important that this day has come to be.”

Fubara stressed the importance of peace for the development of Rivers State:

“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—peace has returned to Rivers State.”

He further pledged commitment to maintaining the fragile unity:

 “We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around.”

Background of the Crisis

The conflict between Wike and his political protégé, Fubara, began shortly after the latter took office in May 2023.

By October, tensions escalated when Wike-loyal lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Fubara. In response, the governor demolished the Assembly complex following a suspicious fire and relocated the legislative sessions.

The rift plunged the state into a prolonged governance crisis.

In December 2023, President Tinubu brokered an initial truce, with Fubara conceding key appointments to Wike\'s loyalists. But the deal collapsed, reigniting tensions.

On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, citing rising insecurity and administrative breakdown. He suspended Fubara’s executive powers and installed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.) as sole administrator of the state for an initial six-month period.