Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday received Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, at his residence in Port Harcourt, in a fresh move to consolidate the reconciliation between the two political allies
The meeting is the first between Wike and Fubara since the governor announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2027 governorship election
Wike was accompanied to the meeting by the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, and Chairman of the Rainbow Coalition reconciliation committee, Magnus Abe
Fubara, on his part, was accompanied by former APC Deputy National Chairman, Sam Jaja
The meeting came amid renewed efforts to mend the strained relationship between Wike and Fubara after months of political crisis that polarised Rivers State
Wike had recently declared that the political feud with Fubara was over, saying the governor had agreed to return to the political family that supported his emergence as governor in 2023
The relationship between the two men deteriorated shortly after Fubara assumed office, leading to a prolonged political crisis in the state
The crisis resulted in impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara by lawmakers loyal to Wike and eventually contributed to President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State
The two camps later reached a truce, with Fubara joining the APC and aligning with the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition
Following Wike’s declaration that the feud had ended, a reconciliation committee headed by Abe was constituted to engage Fubara and his supporters
Fubara has since declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition and endorsed Chinda as his preferred successor in the 2027 governorship election