FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu intervened to bring him together with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in a peace meeting aimed at ending a prolonged intra-party crisis in the oil-producing southern state.
Wike said in a video statement after the meeting that Tinubu’s mediation had opened a “new chapter” in efforts to restore harmony within the Rivers chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Mr President intervened, and that is what brought us together,” Wike said. “We have taken the first step, but the real work begins now.”
The meeting, held in Port Harcourt, marked a rare public display of unity between Wike and Fubara, whose simmering disagreements over leadership and governance in Rivers State had fueled factional divisions within the APC and drawn national attention.
Wike acknowledged that while differences remain, both leaders had agreed to pursue ongoing discussions aimed at consolidating peace and working toward shared goals for the state’s development.
“We agreed to dialogue and not to allow disagreements to rupture our party and derail the progress of Rivers State,” he said.
Fubara, who succeeded Wike as governor in 2023, later echoed the governor’s sentiments in his own remarks, affirming that the peace talks were a step forward.
“I remain committed to working with all stakeholders for peace and progress in Rivers State,” Fubara said in a brief statement.
