President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has agreed to reinstate Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State on the condition that he will not run for reelection in 2027.
According to The Cable, the agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting held Thursday night at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
In attendance were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Governor Fubara; Martin Amaewhule, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly; and a few other lawmakers.
According to sources within the presidency, the agreement aimed at restoring democratic order in Rivers State includes major compromises from all parties involved.
The insiders claimed that one of the key terms is that;
- Siminalayi Fubara will be reinstated to complete his four-year tenure.
- He must forgo any plans to seek a second term in 2027, a move that will limit his clout but to which he agreed.
According to the source which spoke to the Cable, as part of the agreement,
- Wike would be granted the power to nominate all local government chairpersons in the state’s 23 LGAs.
- Fubara was said to have agreed to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements owed to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister.
The source said this move would provide the FCT minister with substantial political leverage, effectively restoring his control at the grassroots level.
In addition to the above, the lawmakers will not initiate any impeachment proceedings against the governor when reinstated by Tinubu.
- Background
The political rift between Fubara and Wike has destabilised governance in the oil-rich state since late 2023.
The feud, primarily over control of the state’s political structure, saw both sides engage in intense battles for dominance.
Fubara, seeking to assert his authority as the sitting governor, pushed back against Wike’s attempts to maintain control over the machinery he built during his eight-year tenure as governor.
The crisis led to multiple impeachment threats, the fracturing of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and a general state of political paralysis.
Tinubu’s earlier efforts to mediate peace had failed, prompting a drastic intervention in March 2025.
On March 18, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the protracted political impasse.
He suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers assembly for six months.
A sole administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, was appointed to run the state’s affairs.
Fubara’s six-month suspension is expected to end in September, and with this new agreement, his return to office appears to be secured, although with significant compromises
