Rivers Crisis: Inside Peace Deal Tinubu Brokered Between Wike, Fubara

An end may have come to the weeks of political brickbats in Rivers State as Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike have agreed to end their feud, with both camps agreeing that all matters instituted in courts should be “immediately” withdrawn.

This follows a meeting with critical stakeholders from Rivers State convened by President Bola Tinubu at the State House yesterday, which pushed through an eight-point peace plan to end the rift between the godfather and his estranged godson.

Prime Business Africa recalls that in the wake of the crisis, the Rivers House of Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, and his loyalists in the State Assembly kicked against the impeachment moves.

Thereafter, 27 pro-Wike lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Subsequently, the factional speaker of the Rivers assembly, Edison Ehie declared the seats of the defecting lawmakers vacant. Meanwhile, no fewer than seven commissioners loyal to the FCT minister resigned from the Fubara government.

Apparently yielding to pressure to wade in, Tinubu stepped into the Rivers crisis, in a closed-door meeting he held with the stakeholders in the state, including former Governor Peter Odili. The parley, which lasted over two hours was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Fubara, Wike, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

At the end of the meeting at about 8:17 pm last night, an eight-point communique entitled “Directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State” was jointly signed by all the stakeholders in attendance.

The signatories included Fubara; Wike; Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Professor Ngozi Odu; Ribadu; Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule; PDP chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka; and Rivers State APC chairman, Tony Okocha.

The communique directed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team regarding the political crisis be withdrawn immediately. It also directed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Assembly should be dropped immediately.

The communique stated that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly under Amaewhule should be recognised alongside the 27 members, who had left PDP for APC.

Other resolutions of the meeting included that the remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the governor should no longer interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

According to the communique, “The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the executive arm of government

“The governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.

“The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council, who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state, should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.

“There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the local government administrations is null and void and shall not be recognised.”