Rivers crisis: Wike dismisses settling with Fubara

The former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the possibility of reconciling with Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara.

Wike criticised Fubara and his allies for failing to implement President Bola Tinubu’s directive issued during a peace meeting he convened.

Recall that in 2023, Fubara and Wike’s camp signed an eight-point peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu and other stakeholders at a crucial meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. However, the agreement collapsed, with Fubara claiming he was coerced into signing the deal with Wike’s camp.

During a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, Wike remarked that Fubara and his allies should have gone back to President Bola Tinubu to clarify why they could not comply with the directives.

He said, “I’m wondering, what conflict to resolve? Mr President, in his wisdom, called all parties. He said, ‘This is the problem, and I want this problem to be resolved. Withdraw the impeachment notice. You go and do this; you go and do that. and everybody agreed with it.”

“The Assembly withdrew the impeachment notice; you did one and two, and then you sent people to go to court. Elder, have you gone back to Mr President to tell him this assignment you gave us? We’ve done one and two, but we can’t do three and four. Mr President, can you call us back to see whether we can find a solution to three and four since one and two have been executed?

“I have never seen this in my life—for a president to call parties, and one party goes back and says it’s political, not binding and unconstitutional. Who does that?”

The conflict between Wike and Fubara began months after Fubara’s inauguration as governor, with the struggle allegedly centred on control of the state’s political resources.