… Sources Say Political Survival, Not Gross Misconduct, Drives Assembly’s Move
…Return Tickets For Next Election Reportedly Key Condition for Truce
Daud Olatunji
Rivers State may be inching closer to a political truce as Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, separately held talks with a reconciliation panel set up by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) amid renewed threats of impeachment against the governor and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The seven-member panel, led by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), first met Wike in Abuja last Thursday before engaging Fubara in a three-hour closed-door session in Port Harcourt on Friday.
The committee also met with state elders and leaders from both camps, including Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, Chairman of the Rivers State Elders Council and close ally of Wike.
A source familiar with the discussions described the engagements as “productive and encouraging.”
“The meetings were fruitful. Considering previous public exchanges, the atmosphere is now much more positive.
There is renewed hope that Rivers people will witness peace. The committee commands respect across the Niger Delta, and Nigerians should allow it to complete its work,” the source said.
The Agabi-led committee, inaugurated last week, is expected to submit its report within two weeks with recommendations aimed at restoring political stability in the oil-rich state.
Investigations revealed that the Rivers State House of Assembly may be motivated more by political survival than by allegations of gross misconduct.
Sources said some lawmakers, including those who had previously advocated for reconciliation, are now seeking assurances from Governor Fubara that they would secure return tickets for the 2027 elections before abandoning impeachment plans.
“There is nothing like gross misconduct here. What these lawmakers want is political survival. With the governor’s defection to the APC last December, they fear losing their tickets unless they get firm assurances,” a key political insider told PLATFORM TIMES.
The source also noted that Wike is reportedly seeking political guarantees from President Bola Tinubu to safeguard his federal appointment, further influencing the Assembly’s hardline stance.
Despite this, insiders say the impeachment process is unlikely to advance beyond its current stage amid growing calls for reconciliation.
In a related development, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Chief Judge Justice Simeon Amadi to comply with a High Court injunction restraining him from acting on impeachment resolutions submitted by the House of Assembly.
The Assembly had written to the Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the alleged misconduct of Fubara and Odu. But the APC, through its spokesman Darlington Nwauju, accused lawmakers, including party members, of participating in a “choreographed legislative coup d’état” that could harm the party’s future in the state.
The party warned that proceeding with the impeachment would amount to legislative overreach and risk deepening political polarisation in Rivers.
Amid the political standoff, Ijaw leaders intensified their backing for Fubara. Over 50,000 Ijaw voters across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom states reportedly transferred their voting units to Rivers ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr Alaye Theophilus, said, “We are solidly with Fubara. Over 50,000 Ijaw people of voting age have transferred their units to Rivers State. We cannot take chances. He must secure a second term.”
Similarly, President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, called on the APC leadership to protect Fubara, warning that his impeachment would be a betrayal of the Ijaw nation and a threat to democratic stability.
The crisis in Rivers State stems from the fallout between Fubara and his former mentor, Wike, who helped him win the governorship in 2023.
Their dispute over political control, legislative cooperation, and governance priorities escalated into repeated impeachment attempts, stalling the state’s administration.
The latest impeachment drive began in early January 2026 but was halted after the Rivers State High Court restrained the Chief Judge from constituting a probe panel.
President Bola Tinubu has intervened multiple times, including imposing a six-month state of emergency in March 2025, which suspended the governor, his deputy, and the Assembly before restoring democratic rule in September 2025.
Despite recurring tensions, the ongoing PANDEF-led reconciliation talks have raised hopes that Rivers State may finally see political stability and a resolution to the lingering Wike-Fubara feud.
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