You’ll not regret embracing peace deal in Rivers, Tinubu tells Fubara
President Bola Tinubu says Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, will not regret his decision to embrace the peace agreement brokered to resolve the state’s political crisis.
Tinubu spoke on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers.
Tinubu commended Fubara for demonstrating maturity and respect for elders’ intervention in resolving the political crisis in the south-south state.
“I want to thank you specifically for maturity, understanding, and respect for the wisdom of elders. When we intervened, you respected our position and maintained peace. You are a committed democrat. Fubara, you will not regret what you have done,” Tinubu told the Rivers governor.
BACK STORY
Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was instrumental in Fubara’s emergence as governor in 2023.
However, shortly after Fubara took the oath of office, the two politicians’ relationship deteriorated.
Wike’s allies dominated the state house of assembly and made several impeachment moves against the governor.
The crisis eventually escalated into a state of emergency, which Tinubu declared in March 2025, suspending the governor and members of the state parliament for six months.
The emergency rule ended in September 2025, with Fubara returning to office. But the underlying struggle over the state’s political structure persisted.
In January 2026, the assembly again initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara but suspended the process after further reconciliation efforts.
The political conflict culminated in Fubara dropping his re-election bid and withdrawing from the APC governorship primary, a decision he attributed to the need for peace and stability in the state.
Tinubu would again intervene in the rift between Fubara and Wike until both politicians agreed to work together for the president’s re-election in 2027.
