Rivers Crisis: Tinubu Asked Me to Reconcile with Wike – Fubara Reveals

Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu personally instructed him to reconcile with his political rival and predecessor, Nyesom Wike, amid their prolonged power tussle.

Speaking to his supporters—referred to as the “Simplified Family”—during a gathering in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Fubara described the reconciliation process as “bitter and heavy,” but emphasized it was a necessary step for the peace and progress of Rivers State.

The political rift between Fubara and Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), began shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023. The conflict escalated, prompting President Tinubu to intervene by declaring a six-month state of emergency in the state and suspending Fubara.

Fubara disclosed that during one of several meetings at the Presidential Villa, President Tinubu had urged him to “settle” with his “oga”—a reference to Wike. “After the meeting we had before May 29th, we’ve had a series of meetings. In one of those meetings, President Tinubu clearly said, ‘I want you and your oga to settle,’” Fubara said.

While acknowledging that the reconciliation was difficult, he appealed to his supporters to embrace it in the interest of the state’s stability and development.

Earlier in the week, Wike confirmed that the crisis had been resolved, noting that all parties had agreed to work together moving forward.