Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has led Rivers State lawmakers and local government chairmen to a closed-door meeting with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Port Harcourt.
The meeting took place at Fubara’s private residence on Sunday evening, although its agenda was not immediately known.
The visit marked the first time Wike and the lawmakers had met the governor at his residence. The delegation included members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Kingsley Chinda, all 23 local government chairmen and other members of the Rainbow Coalition.
The meeting followed an earlier engagement in which Wike led members of the coalition, including Chinda, to meet Fubara. Sunday’s gathering was reportedly part of ongoing reconciliation talks between the two political camps.
Sources said the discussions aimed to help the state move beyond its prolonged political crisis and explore ways to accommodate Fubara’s supporters within the political arrangements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the end of the meeting, Wike, Fubara and other participants were seen smiling as they posed for photographs.
A video recorded at the residence’s entrance showed Amaewhule and other lawmakers greeting the governor, shaking his hand and addressing him as “Your Excellency”. Fubara responded with smiles before rejoining Wike for a group photograph.
The meeting comes after more than two years of political tension between Fubara and the Amaewhule-led Assembly, rooted in a prolonged dispute between the governor and his predecessor, Wike.
During the crisis, lawmakers made two attempts to impeach Fubara. President Bola Tinubu later intervened by declaring a state of emergency, which led to the suspension of the governor and other officials.
Despite reconciliation efforts, Wike had previously ruled out a second term for Fubara and backed Chinda for the party’s ticket.
With the 2027 elections approaching, Wike has renewed efforts to bring political leaders from both camps together.
