…Declares Peace With Wike
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State says peace has fully returned to the state, pledging that his administration will work with stakeholders to sustain it in the interest of the people.
Fubara stated this in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after a thank-you visit to President Bola Tinubu on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“As far as I’m concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together, ” he said.
The governor described the visit to the President as necessary, following his resumption of duties after six months of emergency rule in the state.
”You’re aware that the suspension was lifted midnight September 17, and I came in on the 19th.
”Ideally, it’s proper for me to see Mr President and to tell him that I’m back, and I’ve also resumed my responsibility as the Governor of Rivers State.”
He said the visit was also an opportunity to seek guidance from the President and avoid any future political crises in the state.
“It’s not much. It’s father-son discussion, telling him thank you, and the areas where, if at all, there should be any issue for him to guide me properly so that we don’t be in any situation of crisis”.
meanwhile, Fubara declared an end to the political feud with his predecessor, now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fubara, clad in a white caftan and black cap, arrived at the Villa at about 6:22 p.m. in his first official visit to the State House since his reinstatement as the governor of Rivers, after a six-month emergency rule in the state.
President Tinubu had, in a national broadcast on March 18, declared a state of emergency in the state, suspended Fubara, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly, and appointed a sole administrator to oversee its affairs.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Governor Fubara said his visit was primarily to thank the President and reaffirm his resumption of office.
“You’re aware the suspension was lifted on the 17th, and I came in on the 19th. Ideally, it was proper for me to see Mr. President to inform him that I’m back and have resumed my responsibilities as Governor of Rivers State,” he said.
“It was simply a father-son discussion, thanking him and seeking his guidance on areas where issues may arise so that we don’t find ourselves in any situation of crisis.”
On the President’s remarks, Fubara said: “He advised me on what to do and how best to move forward in governance.”
Asked about his relationship with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, Fubara declared: “I don’t know what you mean by ‘paper peace.’ As far as I’m concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together.”
In his first speech after regaining his office, Fubara, who said his decision not to contest the presidential declaration of emergency in Rivers State was predicated on his conviction that no sacrifice was too great for peace in Rivers State, was effusive in his praise of Tinubu.
He expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a “fatherly intervention” that restored full democratic governance to Rivers State.
“The President graciously brokered peace during this period, and we all accepted it, though not without the hard lessons learnt, during the emergency rule,” he said.
Fubara said this in a statewide broadcast hours after returning to the state on Friday, September 19, 2025.
The governor, who pledged to work harmoniously with the Rivers State House of Assembly to recover lost grounds and accelerate the advancement of social and economic development of the state, described the period of emergency as one of the most challenging moments for the state.
He added that the responsibility now lies with leaders to put aside personal interests and pursue the common good.
He also acknowledged the role of his political leader, former Governor Nyesom Wike, alongside the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other stakeholders in sustaining peace.
Fubara’s visit came shortly after the President held separate meetings with the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State governor, Abdul Rahman Abdul Rasaq; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji; and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, among others.
