Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara may soon join the All Progressives Congress (APC) after months of pressure from President Bola Tinubu and the federal government, sources close to the matter told SaharaReporters.
The move comes after Fubara was suspended from office and Rivers State placed under emergency rule earlier this year. Sources said the governor was left with no choice after facing intense political intimidation and isolation.
One source said, “The president wanted Rivers State under control by any means necessary. The fear of 2027 is real. The only way out was to break the opposition and enforce loyalty.”
The power struggle between Fubara and his former political godfather, Nyesom Wike—now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory—was at the centre of the crisis. Wike reportedly led a campaign, backed by the presidency, to remove Fubara from office.
In March 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. He suspended Fubara and his deputy, dissolved the state’s executive and legislative branches, and appointed a retired military officer, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the state’s sole administrator.
Critics saw the move as a political strategy. “No governor has ever suffered such humiliation in Nigeria’s political history. Fubara was tormented and politically crushed,” a source said.
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In April, Tinubu and Fubara met secretly in London. The meeting, confirmed by The Africa Report, was not officially acknowledged by the presidency. It reportedly resulted in a deal: Fubara would join the APC and be reinstated as governor—under strict conditions.
Sources said the deal also gave APC leaders more control over Rivers State resources and politics.
Wike, who once publicly clashed with Fubara, now appears to have softened his tone. In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Wike said, “Fubara is my son, why will I fight with him? I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they did not work for.”
He also said he was ready for peace if Fubara was serious. “You have the yam and the knife. You are the one who knows how you want peace,” he told the governor.
Many Nigerians are disappointed by the outcome. One source said, “Fubara has been beaten into submission, and Rivers State has become a pawn in Abuja’s power game.”
Civil society groups and opposition parties have strongly condemned the emergency rule, calling it undemocratic. They say Tinubu is using federal power to crush opposition and prepare for the 2027 elections.
Despite the criticism, the emergency rule remains in place, with federal forces controlling key institutions in Rivers State.