Fubara, Wike Engage Peace Panel as Rivers Lawmakers Set Conditions to Drop Impeachment Move

Political tensions in Rivers State over the impeachment threat against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, may be easing following fresh reconciliation efforts involving key actors in the crisis.

Investigations indicate that Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara have separately met with a peace and reconciliation committee established by the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF). The committee is tasked with resolving the protracted political dispute that has destabilised governance in the state.

Sources confirmed that the seven-member committee, chaired by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), met with Wike in Abuja last Thursday. This was followed by a three-hour meeting with Fubara on Friday in Port Harcourt. The committee also held discussions with the Chairman of the Rivers State Elders Council, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, as well as elders and political leaders from both camps.

According to a source familiar with the talks, the engagements have been constructive. The source said the willingness of both Wike and Fubara to appear before the committee was a significant step that has raised expectations of a political settlement. The committee, inaugurated last week in Abuja, is expected to submit its report within two weeks.

Meanwhile, new details have emerged on the position of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which recently paused and then revived impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy. Lawmakers are said to be seeking firm assurances regarding their political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A political insider disclosed that several legislators want guarantees that they will secure return tickets, arguing that their strained relationship with the governor has weakened their re-election prospects. The source dismissed claims of gross misconduct against Fubara, describing the impeachment push as a bargaining tool rather than a disciplinary action.

The source further alleged that the crisis intensified after Fubara defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December, noting that the lawmakers fear marginalisation within the party structure. It was also claimed that Wike is pressing for assurances from President Bola Tinubu regarding his continued relevance at the federal level, including a return to the cabinet.

Despite the escalation, insiders believe the impeachment effort is unlikely to progress beyond its current stage, especially given recent court interventions.

In a related development, the Rivers State chapter of the APC has called on the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, to comply with a High Court order restraining him from acting on the Assembly’s request to constitute an impeachment panel.

The Assembly had announced on Friday that it had forwarded a letter to the Chief Judge seeking the establishment of a seven-man panel to investigate allegations against Fubara and Odu. However, the APC, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, criticised the move, describing it as a legislative overreach that undermines the party’s stability in the state.

The party urged the Chief Judge to respect the interim injunction in Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026 and called on the APC national leadership to activate internal disciplinary mechanisms to prevent further damage to the party’s image in Rivers State.

Separately, leaders of the Ijaw nation have intensified their support for Governor Fubara. The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Alaye Theophilus, claimed that over 50,000 Ijaw voters from Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states have transferred their voting units to Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Similarly, President of the Ijaw National Council, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, warned that the impeachment of Fubara would be viewed as a betrayal of the Ijaw people and called on the APC leadership to protect the governor.

The crisis between Wike and Fubara began shortly after the 2023 governorship election, despite Wike’s pivotal role in Fubara’s emergence. Disagreements over political control, legislative alignment and governance priorities quickly escalated into open confrontation, leading to repeated clashes between the executive and the legislature.

Governor Fubara has faced multiple impeachment attempts since assuming office, with the latest process resuming in January 2026 before being stalled by a court order. Earlier interventions by President Bola Tinubu, including the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in March 2025, temporarily restored calm. The emergency was lifted in September 2025 following assurances of improved political cooperation.

As reconciliation efforts continue, attention remains on the outcome of the PANDEF-led mediation and whether it can finally bring lasting stability to Rivers State politics.