Prosper Okoye
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has dissolved the State Executive Council, in a move that comes amid fresh efforts by the Presidency to calm the political crisis rocking the oil-rich state.
The decision was announced on Thursday in a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
“The governor has directed all commissioners and special advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior officers in their respective ministries with immediate effect,” the statement said.
Fubara also thanked the outgoing cabinet members for their service, noting that he “appreciates their contributions to the development of Rivers State and wishes them well in their future endeavours.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe development came barely 48 hours after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had stepped in to mediate in the protracted power struggle between the governor and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Wike said the President convened a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, bringing together key political actors from Rivers State, including Fubara and his predecessor, in a renewed push to restore political stability.
“I remember this is the second time the President is intervening and, by the grace of God, this is going to be the last time,” Wike told reporters on Tuesday after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja. “I have told the Assembly to do the needful and obey Mr President, which I know they will not hesitate to do.
I also believe the governor will carry out his own part to make sure that this is the final time Rivers people will hear this kind of discord.”
The presidential intervention followed the latest impeachment notice issued against Fubara by lawmakers aligned with Wike — the third such move — which is now the subject of ongoing litigation.
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Political observers noted that, after the meeting at the Villa, Governor Fubara accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, a gesture widely seen as a possible signal of easing tensions.
However, it remains unclear whether the pro-Wike lawmakers will withdraw the impeachment process or whether the latest round of talks will deliver a lasting truce in Rivers State.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
