The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says President Bola Tinubu’s recent intervention in the lingering political crisis in Rivers State should mark the final time the Presidency steps in to resolve the dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state legislature.
Wike spoke on Tuesday while addressing journalists after inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in the FCT, just days after President Tinubu hosted a fresh reconciliation meeting involving the feuding camps at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Rivers political crisis has its roots in the bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, who remains a dominant political figure in the state.
Tensions escalated shortly after Fubara assumed office, leading to a split in the Rivers State House of Assembly, with lawmakers divided into rival factions aligned with the two leaders.
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The standoff triggered impeachment threats, legal battles, parallel sittings by lawmakers, and a breakdown in executive–legislative relations, raising concerns about governance and stability in the oil-rich state.
President Tinubu previously intervened in 2023, brokering a truce that temporarily calmed tensions, but hostilities later resurfaced.
Sunday’s meeting at the Presidential Villa marked another attempt by the President to restore political peace and ensure the smooth functioning of the state government.
Commenting on the development, Wike described the President’s action as that of a father figure and national peacemaker but warned that such federal involvement should not become routine.
“All I can tell you is that Mr President has been very kind to the people of the state. If there seems to be a problem between the legislature and the governor, as a father, he really has to intervene,” Wike said.
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He continued, “I remember this is the second time Mr President has intervened. I believe, by the grace of God, this will be the last time. I have told the Assembly to obey Mr President, which I know they will not hesitate to do. I also believe that this is the final time we must be hearing this kind of discourse.”
Wike’s remarks signal a push to end the prolonged political instability that has gripped Rivers State, even as observers watch to see whether the latest peace effort will hold.