President Bola Tinubu has brokered a political truce in Rivers State, reinstating Siminalayi Fubara as governor under the condition that he will not contest for re-election in 2027.
The agreement was finalised during a closed-door meeting held on Thursday evening at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In attendance were Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; Governor Fubara; Martin Amaewhule, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly; and a select group of lawmakers.
According to credible sources within the presidency, the deal forms part of a wider effort to restore democratic stability in Rivers State. One major condition is that Governor Fubara will serve out his current four-year term but will forfeit any plans to seek a second term — a significant concession which he reportedly accepted.
Additionally, the terms of the truce permit Wike to nominate all local government chairpersons across the state’s 23 LGAs, thereby restoring his influence over grassroots political structures. A senior source noted this as a strategic win for the FCT Minister, who has been at the centre of the political standoff.
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As part of the reconciliation deal, Governor Fubara also agreed to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements owed to the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers who were previously suspended. In exchange, the lawmakers, led by Amaewhule, have pledged not to initiate impeachment proceedings against him. Listen to statements made by Governor Fubara and Wike after the meeting.
These legislators had earlier defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid the crisis, yet continued to claim their positions in the House — a matter that has triggered considerable legal and political contention.
Sources familiar with the discussions described the Thursday night meeting as a breakthrough in President Tinubu’s efforts to mend the fractured relationship between Wike and Fubara. However, the cost of this peace is seen to be steep for the governor, who has had to relinquish key powers.
“The terms are clear: no second term, no control over local governments, and calm will return,” one insider revealed.
Another presidency official commented, “The president was firm — Rivers cannot be allowed to remain in turmoil. This agreement is designed to restore order, but it has come at a political cost for Fubara.”
Observers believe the real beneficiary of the deal is Wike, who, by securing control over the local government system, remains the dominant force in Rivers politics — a position that will be key as 2027 approaches.
The power struggle between Fubara and Wike, his predecessor, has largely revolved around who controls the state’s political structure. While Wike has fought to retain the political machinery he built over his eight-year tenure as governor, Fubara has been seeking to assert his authority as the sitting governor.
