TINUBU FREEZES FUBARA IMPEACHMENT, BROKERS FRESH PEACE WITH WIKE

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an immediate suspension of impeachment proceedings against Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as part of renewed efforts to resolve the lingering political crisis in the state.

The directive followed a closed-door intervention by the President shortly before his departure for an official visit to Türkiye on January 26, after months of failed reconciliation moves that threw Rivers State into legislative paralysis and political instability.

A senior source said Tinubu warned that the impeachment plot posed a serious threat to democratic governance and national political stability.

“This matter must stop now. What is happening in Rivers has gone beyond local politics and is becoming a national concern,” the source quoted the President as saying.

The move marks Tinubu’s second major attempt to end the feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

An earlier peace deal brokered in December 2023 later collapsed, culminating in the declaration of a six-month emergency rule in the state on March 18, 2025, during which Fubara was suspended.

According to sources, Tinubu expressed frustration over the depth of the crisis, warning that Rivers State was too strategic to be crippled by personal and political battles, especially with the 2027 general elections approaching.

The President reportedly directed Wike to halt all impeachment-related manoeuvres and allow the state government to function, while advising Governor Fubara to respect political seniority and established party structures.

Tinubu was said to have drawn parallels with Lagos politics, stressing that disagreements do not erase hierarchy and that Wike should be treated as an elder statesman in Rivers political affairs.

The crisis began shortly after Fubara’s inauguration in May 2023, despite Wike’s key role in his emergence as governor.

Tensions rose as Fubara sought to assert control, resisting alleged attempts by Wike to influence state affairs from Abuja.

The disagreement split the Rivers State House of Assembly, with a majority of lawmakers aligning with Wike and repeatedly threatening impeachment.

As part of the new arrangement, Tinubu reportedly directed the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to accommodate Wike-backed candidates in the forthcoming Rivers State House of Assembly by-elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 21, 2026, for the polls.

The Ahoada East II seat became vacant following the resignation of Edison Ehie, now Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, while the Khana II seat has remained vacant since the death of its lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, in September 2023.

Discussions on Governor Fubara’s second-term ambition were deferred, with Tinubu reportedly insisting that the immediate priority was restoring stability and normal governance in Rivers State.

While the impeachment plot has been frozen, political observers say it remains uncertain whether the latest intervention will produce lasting peace.