The fragile peace accord brokered between suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike appears to have collapsed, plunging the state into renewed political turmoil. This development casts serious doubt on the possibility of Fubara’s reinstatement prior to the originally stipulated six-month period, and the anticipated announcement during President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address on June 12th now seems increasingly unlikely.
The resurgence of tension stems from a recent incident during an empowerment program for 500 Rivers women, an initiative of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, held on Friday, May 2nd, 2025. A group of women, under the banner of Rivers Women Unite for Sim (RWUS), staged a walkout during the event, an act deemed disrespectful by Minister Wike.
Wike, through his media aide Lere Olayinka, condemned the walkout, stating, “An insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in an event is a direct insult to the Office of the President and Commander-In-Chief. As a leader in Rivers State, I apologise.” He further accused unnamed individuals of undermining peace efforts, adding, “You can’t claim to want peace while sponsoring people to insult the President and his wife.” This was an indirect reference to Governor Fubara’s recent peace visits to President Tinubu in London and Wike in Abuja.
However, Wike’s reaction has been met with strong opposition from Rivers women and Niger Delta stakeholders. They argue that the women’s actions were misrepresented and politically weaponized. Annkio Briggs, spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, vehemently denied any link between Governor Fubara and the walkout, stating, “Blaming Governor Fubara is like giving a dog a bad name to hang it.”
Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), asserted that the women acted respectfully, noting, “Their vests bore the names of both Mrs. Tinubu and Governor Fubara. Would they do that if they intended to be disrespectful?”
Political stakeholders in Rivers State had previously expressed hope that Governor Fubara, having demonstrated sufficient regret for his actions, would be reinstated on Democracy Day, June 12th, 2025. This date, a national public holiday commemorating the restoration of democracy in 1999, was seen as a symbolically appropriate moment for reconciliation.
Earlier reports indicated that Governor Fubara had visited Wike’s Abuja residence, accompanied by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and former Governor Olusegun Osoba, in an apparent effort to mend fences following his suspension. This meeting, confirmed by Wike’s aide, Lere Olayinka, had initially fueled optimism for a lasting resolution.
The recent breakdown of the peace accord, however, has reignited fears of renewed instability in Rivers State, leaving the fate of Governor Fubara’s reinstatement hanging in the balance.
