- Political tension in Rivers State may ease as Wike and Fubara show a willingness to reconcile
- Agabi Peace Committee’s meetings with key figures signal hope for resolution in ongoing crisis
- The committee aims to propose actionable solutions within two weeks to end the political impasse
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Port Harcourt, Rivers State – There are strong indications that the escalating political tensions in Rivers State over the impeachment threat against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, for alleged gross misconduct, may soon ease as the two rival camps appear ready to reconcile.
According to a Vanguard report on Sunday, January 18, the two principal actors in the crisis, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his estranged godson, Fubara, have shown signs of backing down following a meeting with the peace and reconciliation committee established by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) to resolve the crisis.
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Source: Facebook
Wike, Fubara show reconciliation signs
A source revealed that the seven-man peace committee, led by Kanu Agabi (SAN), otherwise known as the Agabi Peace Committee, first met with Wike in Abuja last Thursday, January 15, before having another round of three-hour interface with Fubara on Friday, January 16, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The committee, which had earlier met with the chairman of Rivers State Elders Council, Ferdinand Anabraba, a close ally of the FCT minister, also met with elders and leaders from both Wike and Fubara camps on Saturday, January 17, in Port Harcourt.
The source said:
“So far, those meetings have been very fruitful. Don’t forget that before now, people had made public statements.
“A lot of things were said, but the outcome of those meetings is very encouraging. I can say that there is hope. A real renewed hope.
“Rivers people respect this committee, and I will appeal to Nigerians to allow these illustrious sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region to do their work.”
Rivers’ political impasse may end
The Agabi Committee was inaugurated in Abuja recently to reconcile the two warring parties and turn in its report within two weeks for further action. It is expected that the Port Harcourt meeting with the elders would proffer a workable solution to bring the political impasse in the state to an end.
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The source stated that if Wike and Fubara had refused to meet with the committee, for instance, “then there would have been a genuine reason to be afraid that the effort would not yield a positive result.”
Source: Twitter
The source added:
“But right now, things are going on very well, and there is every reason to hope for the best outcome.”
Wike–Fubara rift complicates APC strategy
In a striking paradox, Wike remains a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member while Fubara is now an APC governor, yet both share a fundamental federal objective: supporting the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.
This convergence of interests complicates the APC’s calculations.
Wike has openly warned that Fubara’s re-election would “kill him politically,” reducing governance to a contest of personal survival.
The arithmetic confronting the APC is blunt.
If Fubara secures the party’s governorship ticket, he enters the race as an incumbent with access to state machinery and resources. If he is denied the ticket, the APC must bankroll Rivers from Abuja, fighting a sitting governor who remains the recognised leader of the party in the state. Such a move risks alienating Fubara’s supporters, dampening enthusiasm for President Tinubu, and opening space for protest votes or quiet sabotage.
Read more Rivers State news:
6 Rivers lawmakers defect to APC
Legit.ng earlier reported that 16 members of the Rivers House of Assembly announced their defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Martin Awaewhule, Speaker of the Assembly, announced the defection during plenary.
Amaewhule also disclosed that he would be joining his colleagues out of the PDP.
Source: Legit.ng