The political rapprochement between former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, took another significant step forward on Sunday as the two politicians met in Port Harcourt for the first time since Fubara withdrew from the 2027 governorship race.
Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, received Fubara at his Port Harcourt residence amid renewed efforts to consolidate the political reconciliation between the two former allies.
The meeting brought together key figures in the emerging political alliance in Rivers State. Wike was joined by Kingsley Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, and Magnus Abe, chairman of the Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee.
Fubara, on his part, was accompanied by Sam Jaja, a former deputy national chairman of the APC.
The meeting is the latest development in a reconciliation process aimed at ending the bitter political rivalry that erupted between Wike and Fubara shortly after the latter assumed office in 2023.
Their fallout triggered one of the most intense political crises in Rivers State in recent years, with the dispute spilling into the state House of Assembly and producing repeated impeachment threats against Fubara.
The crisis eventually escalated to the federal level, culminating in President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025. The intervention temporarily suspended the governor and the state legislature before normal political administration was restored.
Since then, both camps have taken steps towards reconciliation.
Wike recently disclosed that Fubara had returned to the political fold that supported his emergence as governor. The development was followed by the establishment of a reconciliation committee headed by Abe to engage Fubara, his supporters and other political stakeholders in Rivers.
Fubara has subsequently aligned himself with the APC and the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition, publicly declaring his support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid and endorsing Chinda as his preferred candidate for the 2027 Rivers governorship election.
His decision marked a major shift from the political confrontation that had characterised his relationship with Wike for much of his administration.
Fubara had earlier been screened alongside Chinda ahead of the APC governorship primary but eventually withdrew from the contest, saying he was stepping aside in the interest of peace, stability and unity in Rivers State. His withdrawal left Chinda as the sole aspirant, paving the way for his emergence as the APC candidate.
The latest meeting between Wike and Fubara therefore carries considerable political significance as the 2027 elections approach, particularly as the former rivals seek to consolidate their alliance and bring previously divided political interests under a common platform.
With Chinda already emerging as the APC’s candidate and Fubara publicly backing the Rainbow Coalition, Sunday’s meeting further underscored the changing political dynamics in Rivers State.
The reconciliation process, which began against the backdrop of years of bitter rivalry, now appears to be entering a new phase, with both camps increasingly projecting unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
