Wike, Fubara Move to Bury the Hatchet as Governor Meets Reconciliation Team

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday received members of the reconciliation committee of the Rainbow Coalition at Government House, Port Harcourt, in what appears to be the latest move to bury the hatchet with his political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

The committee, led by Magnus Abe, Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), was set up under the backing of Wike, the current Minister of the FCT.

The Rainbow Coalition is a cross-party political alliance spearheaded by Wike to rally politicians across party lines in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Wike, who governed Rivers from 2015 to 2023, was widely credited for Fubara’s emergence as governor. But their relationship soured shortly after Fubara took office, triggering months of political warfare in the state.

Lawmakers loyal to Wike repeatedly attempted to impeach Fubara, a crisis that eventually forced President Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in Rivers.

In the aftermath, Fubara defected from the PDP to the APC and stepped aside from the governorship race, endorsing Kingsley Chinda, a House of Representatives member and Wike ally, for the seat.

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Wike had recently declared an end to the feud, paving the way for this reconciliation effort.

The Sunday meeting signals a fresh attempt to mend fences and unify Rivers politicians ahead of the 2027 elections.