Rivers Crisis: Top Stakeholder Mentions Agreement Between Wike, Fubara Ahead of 2027 Election
- Governor Siminalayi Fubara faced pressure as ex-lawmaker Olaka Nwogu questioned his integrity amid the political crisis in Rivers state
- FCT minister Nyesom Wike accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of breaching peace agreements as tensions rose over the coming 2027 governorship election
- Fubara is reportedly ineligible for re-election per the agreement with President Bola Tinubu, limiting his political influence in Rivers
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering world politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Port Harcourt, Rivers state - As Rivers governor Siminalayi Fubara faces mounting pressure, former National Assembly member Senator Olaka Nwogu said that all agreements intended to resolve the state’s political crisis “have been flouted by the governor at one time or another."
Speaking during an interview on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television monitored by Legit.ng, Nwogu, who said he was part of a major meeting in 2025, Nwogu faulted Fubara's integrity.
Source: Facebook
Asked if an agreement has been reached that Fubara will not contest for a second term in the 2027 Rivers state gubernatorial election, the former federal lawmaker replied:
"Well, that is part of it. Fubara himself spoke by himself. I was in that meeting with the president, and the governor spoke himself. And he said, this is the agreement we have reached.
"There were a number of issues. There were contentions. There were people who were seen to be disruptive to the polity. They were to be excused from the process. There were the understanding of what role the governor will play and what role the minister (Nyesom Wike) will play for the harmony of the state, as we agreed amongst ourselves. And the governor himself affirmed those understandings, including his own commitment.
"He (Fubara) went to his people in church and told them that his spirit had left (the governorship office). And he told them that they don't even know what his 'oga' had done for him, which was the FCT minister. And he said a few things which alluded to the fact that he was working on something and in fact, he was almost aggressive to his people that there was nothing like same movement and all that. They should stop."
Rivers governor faces Wike’s wrath
Legit.ng reports that Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), resumed open attack on the governor after Fubara defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in December.
The FCT minister accused Fubara of breaching the peace agreement reached before the lifting of the emergency rule in Rivers, which paved the way for him to return to office.
Recently, Wike said the “leadership mistake” in Rivers will be corrected in 2027 and promised to reveal the details of the peace agreement that returned Fubara to power.
The FCT minister, in a veiled reference to Fubara, said leaders are meant to serve the people’s will rather than pursue personal interests.
Wike also responded to Fubara’s New Year remark, in which the governor dismissed his recent comments as “noise”.
the minister said he made Fubara governor despite not being popular among the people.
Source: Facebook
Fubara reportedly ineligible for re-election
It would be recalled that in June 2025, The Cable reported that President Tinubu agreed to reinstate Fubara as the governor of Rivers state, but with the condition that he would not seek re-election in 2027.
The agreement was reportedly reached during a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, where Tinubu hosted Wike, Fubara, Martin Amaewhule, the speaker of the Rivers assembly, and a handful of lawmakers at the height of the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
Presidency sources disclosed that the deal, part of a broader effort to restore democratic order in Rivers, involves significant concessions.
According to insiders, one of the key terms is that Fubara will be reinstated to complete his four-year tenure but must forgo any plans to seek a second term in 2027, a move that will limit his clout but to which he agreed.
Read more Rivers state news:
- 1,100 free surgeries: Pastor Ashimolowo’s CCRW takes crusade to Port Harcourt in Rivers state as Governor Fubara shows support
- Rivers' emergency rule: FG, national assembly make demands from Supreme Court
- N3.6 trillion race: How Lagos, Rivers, and FCT left other states behind in Nigeria’s IGR ranking
Fubara, lawmakers at loggerheads again
Legit.ng earlier reported that barely two months after the suspension of emergency rule in Rivers state and the reinstatement of democratic structures, tensions have resurfaced between Governor Fubara and members of the state house of assembly led by Speaker Amaewhule.
During its 31st legislative sitting, the House condemned the alleged vandalisation of property at the Township School in Port Harcourt and other schools across the state. The Rivers lawmakers lamented the decayed infrastructure in public primary and secondary schools and accused the executive arm of doing little to address the situation.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
