President Bola Tinubu has intervened once again in the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, directing an immediate halt to impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara while mandating that he formally recognise his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, as the undisputed political leader of the state.
The intervention followed months of failed reconciliation efforts that had pushed Rivers State to the brink of impeachment, legislative paralysis and instability. Tinubu reportedly acted just before leaving Nigeria for an official visit to Türkiye on January 26.
According to multiple sources familiar with the development, the president ordered all impeachment-related actions against Fubara to be suspended, citing his concern over governance breakdown and security implications in the state.
However, the directive came with strict conditions. Tinubu reportedly instructed Fubara to acknowledge Wike’s authority as the final arbiter on party matters in Rivers State, regardless of whether the platform involved is the APC or PDP.
The president was said to have warned that continued hostility between both camps would undermine governance and destabilise the state.
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Sources disclosed that Tinubu emphasised that all internal party disputes in Rivers must defer to Wike, whom he described as the state’s political leader.
The situation is complicated by Wike’s political standing. Although he is a serving minister under the APC-led federal government, he remains officially a member of the PDP, a position he has reportedly used to weaken the opposition party in Rivers State.
The agreement also covered the forthcoming Rivers State House of Assembly bye-elections. Tinubu reportedly directed the APC leadership to recognise candidates loyal to Wike for the two vacant seats – Ahoada East II and Khana II – scheduled by INEC for February 21, 2026.
The Ahoada East II seat became vacant after its former occupant, Edison Ehie, resigned to serve as Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, while the Khana II seat has remained vacant since the death of its lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.
Sources further revealed that discussions around Fubara’s second-term ambition were raised but deliberately deferred, with Tinubu reportedly stating that talks about the 2027 governorship election were premature.
