Rivers crisis: You’ll not regret choosing peace, Tinubu assures Fubara

By Ayobami Okerinde President Bola Tinubu has assured Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that he would not regret his decision to embrace peace and respect the intervention of political elders in resolving the crisis that rocked the state. Tinubu gave the assurance on Saturday while addressing supporters at the All Progressives Congress, APC, 2027 presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt.

He said, “To me, I intervened on your behalf. Similarly, to Fubara, Your Excellency, the host governor of today, I want to thank you specifically for maturity, understanding, respect for the wisdom of elders. “When we intervened, you respected our position. You maintained peace. You are a committed democrat, Fubara. You will not regret what you have done as long as all of us are alive,” Tinubu said.

The political crisis, which erupted in October 2023, followed a breakdown in relations between Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over control of the state’s political structure. The crisis escalated in March 2025 when Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, suspending Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly for six months.

Fubara returned to office in September 2025 following the expiration of the emergency rule. However, political tensions resurfaced, with lawmakers initiating another impeachment process against him and his deputy in January 2026. Efforts to reconcile the feuding camps gained momentum in June 2025 when Tinubu convened a meeting involving Fubara, Wike and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

More recently, in October, Fubara and Wike held another reconciliation meeting in Port Harcourt alongside their supporters, in what was seen as an effort to consolidate the rapprochement between the two political camps.