ABUJA, Nigeria — The political divide in Rivers State widened on Monday, June 2, 2025, as allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, rejected claims by the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that reconciliation was underway to restore democratic governance in the state.
Fubara, speaking last week at a meeting with leaders of his political faction, the Simplified Movement, said that both the executive and legislative branches would soon be restored.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for intervening to prevent what he described as a political collapse and hinted at an imminent reconciliation with Wike, whom he still referred to as “my oga”.
“There is no reason why there will not be peace between me and my oga,” Fubara said. “We are meeting. We will reconcile.”
But Wike’s camp has dismissed the comments as disingenuous.
During a live media chat on Monday, June 2, 2025, Wike described Fubara’s remarks as nothing more than “radio and television reconciliation”, accusing him of failing to make direct efforts or meaningful contact to resolve the political impasse.
Dr. Chidi Lloyd, a former local government chairman and longtime political ally of Wike, went further, describing Fubara’s attempts at peacemaking as “a public performance with no substance”.
“We know him very well, having worked with him,” Lloyd said.
“He is a man who says something and does a different thing. He tells people he’s settled with his oga, but the oga hasn’t seen him in two months.”
Lloyd argued that genuine reconciliation must involve all parties affected by the prolonged crisis — including members of the State House of Assembly and the ousted local government chairmen — and that Fubara had yet to take such steps.
“You don’t talk peace while you’ve failed to meet the state assembly. These are people whose salaries he withheld for two years. Some couldn’t pay their children’s school fees. Their wives left them. There’s a cost to this crisis.”
He advised the embattled governor to humble himself and seek forgiveness from the very people he sidelined.
“A prisoner of war does not dictate to his captors,” Lloyd said, warning that political amnesty cannot be secured by mere declarations.
Fubara had also alluded to President Tinubu’s behind-the-scenes efforts, claiming the president acted wisely to avoid deeper crisis.
He suggested that the emergency declaration on the state would soon be lifted and democratic structures restored — perhaps as early as June 12.
But Lloyd was dismissive.
“They told us it would happen on May 29, now it’s June 12. Let’s wait and see. But the deeper issue remains unresolved,” he said.
“Like Ola Rotimi said in The Gods Are Not to Blame, until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth will continue to chew with caution.”
The Rivers crisis began after Fubara fell out with Wike — his predecessor and political benefactor — triggering a months-long standoff that led to the suspension of the state assembly, parallel legislative factions, and executive gridlock.
Wike’s loyalists have accused Fubara of betrayal and incompetence, while Fubara’s supporters claim he is the victim of political overreach by his former mentor.
