The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, local government chairmen and other political leaders to a closed-door meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Port Harcourt.
The meeting, held at Fubara’s residence on Sunday evening, reportedly formed part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the two political camps following the prolonged crisis that has divided the state’s political leadership.
The agenda of the meeting was not immediately known. However, the gathering marked the first time Wike and the lawmakers had visited the governor at his residence, according to reports.
The delegation included members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, the state’s 23 local government chairmen, Kingsley Chinda, identified in the report as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 elections, and other members of the Rainbow Coalition.
The meeting followed an earlier engagement in which Wike led members of the Rainbow Coalition, including Chinda, to meet with Fubara.
Reports indicated that the latest discussions were intended to build on reconciliation efforts, ease tensions between the rival camps and explore ways to accommodate Fubara’s supporters within the political arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.
At the end of the meeting, Wike, Fubara, the lawmakers and other members of the delegation were seen smiling as they exchanged greetings and posed for photographs.
A video from the gathering reportedly showed Amaewhule and other members of the delegation greeting and shaking hands with the governor, addressing him as “Your Excellency”. Fubara acknowledged their greetings before rejoining Wike for a group photograph.
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The meeting comes against the backdrop of a prolonged political dispute between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, which also pitted the governor against the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
During the crisis, lawmakers made two attempts to impeach Fubara before President Bola Tinubu intervened by declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspending the governor and other officials.
Despite subsequent reconciliation efforts, Wike had ruled out supporting a second term for Fubara and backed Chinda for the party’s ticket, according to the report.
With the 2027 elections approaching, Wike is reportedly making renewed efforts to bring political leaders from the opposing camps back together. It remains unclear whether the latest meeting will lead to a lasting resolution of the disagreements or a formal political agreement between the parties.
