Rivers State politics has entered a new chapter following the reconciliation between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The truce, brokered after months of political hostilities, ended the emergency rule imposed on the state. President Bola Tinubu lifted the suspension on September 17, reinstating Fubara and his deputy alongside lawmakers.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, Fubara described the reconciliation as a “turning point” and declared that “proper peace” had returned to the state.
But even as hostilities ease, a fresh scramble for Rivers’ political structure is underway.
APC Moves to Woo Fubara
The All Progressives Congress (APC), buoyed by its landslide victory in the August local government elections, has intensified efforts to lure Fubara into its fold.
The APC secured 20 council chairmanship seats and an overwhelming majority of councillorship positions, handing the party grassroots control in a state long dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
On Channels Television, APC factional spokesman Darlington Nwauju urged Fubara to defect:
“If I were the governor of Rivers State, on my return on Thursday, I would announce my defection to the APC. We would gladly receive the governor into our party.”
Similarly, APC Deputy National Organising Secretary Nze Chidi Duru told Sunday PUNCH:
“If he considers that his interest will be better managed by our party, it is for him to decide. At the appropriate time, the APC will make a decision if he reaches out.”
PDP Warns Against Defection
The PDP, however, has cautioned Fubara against abandoning the platform that brought him to power.
Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor warned that decamping would erode the governor’s goodwill.
“Rivers people freely elected Sim on the PDP platform. If he defects, he will be throwing away his goodwill before the people,” he said.
Osadolor also condemned Tinubu’s earlier intervention, describing the imposition of a military administrator as “a brazen rape of the constitution and a threat to democracy.”
Wike Distances Himself
Meanwhile, Wike has dismissed speculation that he is interfering in his successor’s administration.
“I cannot go and impose anything on the governor. Why would I? I have no candidate, and I will not,” he told journalists.
What Next for Rivers?
Fubara’s reinstatement was greeted with jubilant celebrations in Port Harcourt, signalling relief after months of political tension marked by impeachment threats, violent clashes, and budgetary standoffs.
But with both APC and PDP trading words over his loyalty, the governor now faces the delicate task of consolidating peace while navigating the high-stakes power struggle in a state regarded as a kingmaker in national elections.
