In the agreement reached to reinstate the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, details have emerged that the governor will not seek re-election in 2027, according to information obtained by TheCable.
The agreement was forged during a closed-door meeting on Thursday night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Attendees included Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, Governor Fubara, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and a small group of lawmakers.
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According to the news wire quoting insiders, the arrangement forms part of a broader strategy aimed at stabilizing the political climate in the oil-rich state, which has been wracked by months of internal conflict and constitutional disruptions.
A critical part of the deal involves Fubara being allowed to finish his current four-year term in office but abandoning any ambition to run for a second term. While this limits his political influence going forward, the governor is said to have accepted the terms.
In exchange, Wike is expected to assume control over the appointment of all 23 local government chairpersons in Rivers — a significant power shift that restores his grip on grassroots political operations across the state.
“This would serve as significant political leverage, restoring grassroots control to the FCT minister,” the outlet quoting a source within the presidency.
In another part of the arrangement, Fubara has agreed to clear all unpaid entitlements and allowances owed to the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, who were earlier suspended from the state assembly amid the political row.
In return, these legislators have pledged not to pursue impeachment proceedings against him.These lawmakers, led by Amaewhule, had previously defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), complicating their legal standing in the assembly.
The legitimacy of their seats has been a matter of intense legal debate and political contention.
Sources close to the presidency described the meeting as a “breakthrough” in President Tinubu’s mediation efforts, even though it required Fubara to make considerable concessions in return for retaining his office.
“The arrangement is clear: no second term, no local government control, and peace will return,” one source said.
Another source added, “The president made it clear that Rivers cannot afford a prolonged crisis. The deal is about restoring calm, but it comes at a steep cost for Fubara.”
“Wike is the real winner here. By controlling the local government chairmen, he retains significant influence over the state’s political machinery, which will be crucial for 2027.”
The deepening conflict between Fubara and Wike — who served as governor for eight years prior to Fubara’s emergence — has been driven by competing claims to the state’s political apparatus. While Wike has tried to maintain dominance over the structures he built, Fubara has been seeking to establish his independence as governor.
This power struggle led to an extended governance crisis, including a failed impeachment attempt against Fubara and a fractured state assembly split along factional lines loyal to either camp.
Earlier peace interventions by the presidency failed to produce tangible results, as tensions continued to escalate.
In a dramatic move, President Tinubu on March 18 declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to the lingering crisis. He subsequently suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all lawmakers in the state assembly for six months.
To manage the vacuum, Tinubu appointed retired naval officer Ibok-Ette Ibas as sole administrator of the state during the suspension period.
With Fubara’s six-month suspension scheduled to end by September, the latest development marks a significant turning point in the Rivers political saga — though it also underscores the governor’s diminished authority under the terms of his reinstatement.
