Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has publicly recognised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the political leader of the state’s emerging political alliance, raising fresh questions about his own political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fubara made the declaration on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt during a rally organised by the Rainbow Coalition, a political group led by Wike.
The event attracted supporters from the state’s 23 local government areas and was organised to unveil candidates of the coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the gathering, Fubara urged his supporters to stop addressing him as their political leader, saying members of the alliance now belonged to the same political family.
“I am no more your leader. Stop calling me ‘my leader, my leader’,” the governor told the crowd.
He explained that although he remained their governor, the political arrangement required them to recognise a common leader.
At the event, Fubara also unveiled the coalition’s candidates and handed the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag to Kingsley Chinda, Wike’s preferred candidate for the Rivers governorship election.
The development marks a significant shift in the relationship between the governor and his predecessor, whose political disagreement triggered a prolonged crisis in the state.
Fubara and Wike had engaged in reconciliation meetings between August and October 2026 in an effort to rebuild their political alliance ahead of the next elections.
The discussions reportedly involved the 23 local government chairmen, lawmakers and political appointees aligned with Wike. Three suspended lawmakers loyal to Fubara were also reinstated as part of the reconciliation process.
However, the governor’s latest declaration has generated criticism from some of his former supporters, who believe he has surrendered his political influence to Wike.
Public commentator Franklin Uket alleged that Wike had consistently resisted Fubara’s efforts to establish an independent political structure, describing the governor’s latest move as a further loss of political authority.
Similarly, the Paramount Ruler of Egwebe in Andoni Local Government Area, HRH Ubokikwan Gabriel Ogbologwung, criticised the governor’s decision, warning that it could weaken the confidence of his grassroots supporters.
An elder statesman of Ijaw extraction, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, also suggested that Fubara might have been pressured into accepting the arrangement, warning that the decision could affect the political balance in Rivers State.
However, former member of the House of Representatives and political analyst, Prince Ogbonna Nwuke, offered a different perspective, describing the governor’s action as a possible sacrifice for peace.
He noted that Fubara might have chosen reconciliation over political control, although his supporters could feel disappointed by the development.
Meanwhile, President of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Prof. Godknows Igali, said the governor was entitled to decide whether to retain or relinquish his political authority.
Fubara’s decision is particularly significant given that he joined the APC on December 9, 2025, after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party’s national leadership had subsequently recognised him as its political leader in Rivers State, in line with its position on sitting governors.
With the 2027 elections approaching, questions remain over Fubara’s political influence, the future of his loyalists and whether the reconciliation with Wike will guarantee lasting stability in the state.
