Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the decision by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to withdraw from the 2027 governorship race was in line with agreements reached during reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring political stability in the state.
Wike made the remarks on Monday while addressing journalists after inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja.
According to the former Rivers governor, Fubara’s withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries did not come as a surprise because it formed part of earlier understandings reached during peace negotiations involving key political stakeholders in the state.
Fubara had recently announced his withdrawal from the APC primaries, stating that the move followed consultations with family members, political allies and associates. He said the decision was taken in the interest of peace, unity and stability in Rivers State.
Speaking on the development, Wike said the governor should not have obtained nomination forms in the first place, insisting that part of the reconciliation agreement required impeachment threats against Fubara to be dropped on the condition that he would not pursue a second term.
“I am not surprised that the governor withdrew. In the first place, he ought not to have collected the form because agreement was reached that the impeachment should be dropped while he should also not go about a second term,” Wike said.
The minister also accused Fubara of previously acting contrary to the spirit of the peace agreement despite several interventions to end the prolonged political crisis in the state.
The dispute between Wike and Fubara began shortly after the latter assumed office in May 2023 following Wike’s completion of his eight-year tenure as governor. The political rift later escalated into a wider institutional crisis involving factions within the Rivers State House of Assembly, impeachment threats and legal disputes over the control of the state’s political structure.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier intervened in the crisis and supervised peace meetings between both camps. One of the reconciliation efforts reportedly led to a peace pact aimed at restoring calm in the state.
Wike noted that subsequent violations of the agreement contributed to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State before fresh reconciliation meetings were held ahead of the lifting of the emergency measures in September 2025.
The FCT minister also praised Kingsley Chinda, describing him as a capable and experienced politician fit for the governorship position.
“A good product markets itself. Everybody knows that Kingsley Chinda is the material,” Wike stated, adding that Chinda possessed both executive and legislative experience.
Meanwhile, a group identified as Rivers Professionals welcomed Chinda’s emergence as the APC governorship candidate, describing him as a competent and inclusive leader capable of moving the state forward.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt by its publicity director, Nimi Solomon, the group said Chinda’s emergence represented a positive shift toward competence, fairness and development-oriented governance in Rivers State.
