FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has announced on Thursday that harmony has been restored in Rivers State following his recent conversation with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, paving the way for President Bola Tinubu’s decision to end the six-month emergency rule in the politically volatile oil hub.
Appearing on Channels Television’s _Politics Today, Wike detailed the Wednesday exchange with Fubara, which he described as a positive step toward unity after months of turmoil that saw the governor, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the state assembly suspended in March amid a bitter feud between Wike and his successor.
“As I speak to you, as of yesterday, I spoke to the Governor (Fubara). I told him I was leaving that night to come back, and he told me he was leaving this morning,” Wike shared.
“So, I can tell you that, by the grace of God, peace has returned. And look at what the Assembly did today to set the tone — you can see peace; you can see we are prepared, for the interest of the state. Let’s move forward.”
When pressed on who initiated the call, Wike brushed aside the details, focusing instead on the outcome.
He said it was not important who called whom, emphasizing that what truly matters is that peace has returned to the state.
Wike went further, extending an olive branch by confirming he has fully pardoned Fubara, quashing any lingering rift.
He said, “I have already said that we’ve been speaking. I will not engage with a man I have not forgiven. Everything is over. I am not a politician who says one thing today and another tomorrow. We must move forward.”
The minister didn’t hold back in lambasting critics he accused of sabotaging the fragile truce, labeling them as chaos-mongers with no real agenda.
“Unfortunately, there are people who do not want peace. Today, I watched individuals twisting the law, claiming illegality in the conduct of local government elections. But ask them: what did they do to prevent such illegality in the first place? When you hear them pontificating and shouting, you would think they have solutions—yet they do nothing except attempt to create crisis. The president has done a great deal for us, and peace has been restored.”
With stakeholders now aligned on progress, Wike’s remarks signal a potential turning point for Rivers, a key economic driver in Nigeria’s South-South region, as it shifts from emergency governance back to normalcy.
