With the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, declared by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025 to douse tensions between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, now lifted on September 17, Fubara is back in office. But he’s walking into a political minefield, with Wike’s allies holding the upper hand in key state structures.
The local government elections on August 30, overseen by Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), delivered a blow: Wike’s All Progressives Congress (APC) clinched 20 of 23 council chairmanships, while Fubara’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed only three, losing even in Fubara’s home turf of Opobo/Nkoro. The 23 chairmen, all sworn in and aligned with Wike, give him a firm grip on grassroots politics.
The state House of Assembly, led by Wike loyalist Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, adds to Fubara’s woes. On September 18, convening in a makeshift Aba Road venue due to ongoing repairs at the demolished Moscow Road complex, they demanded Fubara submit commissioner nominees, present a new budget, and detail emergency-period expenditures. While Amaewhule cited the June 2025 Tinubu-mediated peace pact—halting lawsuits, impeachment threats, and restoring Assembly funds—Wike’s talk of peace rings hollow to many, with mutual distrust simmering.
Omenazu Jackson, a human rights leader, advises Fubara to lead with tact, aligning council chairmen and lawmakers to his plans while addressing their concerns. Lawyer Higher King sees no immediate flare-ups, as 2027 election tickets keep everyone focused, but warns of shifting loyalties by next year. “Fubara’s got the edge now—nobody will rattle him,” King insists, adding even Tinubu needs his cooperation.
Sunny Dada of the Civil Liberties Organisation calls for a truth and reconciliation panel under a neutral retired judge to mend ethnic splits deepened by the upland-riverine divide. He also demands transparency on Ibas’s financial record—FAAC funds, IGR, and spending—and supports the Assembly’s push for a new budget. Elder statesman Sunny Chukumele, however, fears Fubara’s been outmaneuvered, with three loyalist lawmakers at risk of punishment.
As Fubara pledges to prioritize infrastructure, healthcare, and economic growth, his toughest challenge is outsmarting Wike’s shadow and forging unity in a divided state before 2027 elections stir the pot.
