The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has led members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the 23 local government chairmen in the state to a closed-door meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The meeting, which took place at the governor’s private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening, was held amid ongoing efforts to resolve the political crisis that has divided the state’s political leaders.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not officially disclosed, sources indicated that the discussions were part of efforts to strengthen reconciliation between the camps loyal to Wike and Fubara ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The delegation included the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, members of the Assembly, local government chairmen and other members of the Rainbow Coalition. Kingsley Chinda, identified in the report as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 elections, was also present.
The meeting marked the first time Wike and the lawmakers had visited Fubara at his residence since the political disagreement that strained relations between the governor and his predecessor.
It also followed an earlier engagement in which Wike reportedly led members of the Rainbow Coalition, including Chinda, to meet with the governor as part of ongoing reconciliation efforts.
Sources familiar with the latest meeting said the discussions were aimed at building on previous engagements, bringing the rival camps closer and exploring ways to accommodate Fubara’s loyalists within the political arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.
Signs of a possible improvement in relations were visible after the meeting, as Wike, Fubara, the lawmakers and other members of the delegation were seen smiling.
A video taken at the entrance of the governor’s residence showed Amaewhule and other lawmakers greeting Fubara, shaking hands with him and addressing him as “Your Excellency.” The governor responded warmly before rejoining Wike for a group photograph with other members of the delegation.
The latest engagement comes against the background of the prolonged political crisis between Fubara and the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, which followed a disagreement between the governor and Wike, his predecessor and political ally.
During the height of the crisis, the lawmakers made two attempts to impeach Fubara, further deepening the political tension in the state.
The situation eventually prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, leading to the suspension of the governor and other affected officials.
Despite previous reconciliation efforts, tensions over the political future of Rivers State have continued. Wike had earlier ruled out supporting Fubara for a second term and reportedly backed Chinda as his preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
However, with the next general elections approaching, Wike appears to be making renewed efforts to bring political leaders from both camps together and rebuild unity within his political structure.
Although the outcome of Sunday’s meeting has not been officially announced, the cordial atmosphere observed after the engagement has raised expectations that further discussions could help ease the lingering political divisions in Rivers State.
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