Fubara Attends Burial of Wike’s Uncle in Rivers Amid Signs of Reconciliation

In what appears to be a further step toward reconciliation, suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Saturday attended the burial of the uncle of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The event, which took place in Wike’s hometown, also had in attendance the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and other high-profile dignitaries.

Though solemn in occasion, the gathering served as another visible sign that efforts to mend the fractured political ties within the state may be gaining traction.

Just days earlier, President Bola Tinubu had met with Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, Speaker Amaewhule, and other Rivers lawmakers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. That closed-door meeting, which many believed was aimed at resolving the months-long political crisis in Rivers, marked the first time Fubara and Wike were seen together since the declaration of a state of emergency in the state on March 18.

At the peak of the crisis, President Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire state Assembly for six months, citing an irreconcilable breakdown in governance and escalating political tensions. He then appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator of the state, invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.

The political battle, widely seen as a fallout between Wike and his estranged political protégé Fubara, had engulfed the state in months of uncertainty.

The Amaewhule-led Assembly, loyal to Wike, had threatened to impeach the governor, accusing him of ignoring a Supreme Court ruling that affected the state’s political structure.

However, following the peace meeting brokered by President Tinubu last week, recent public appearances have reflected a more conciliatory tone among the former rivals.

Saturday’s burial ceremony further highlighted this shift, as Fubara, Wike, and Amaewhule were all present under the same roof for the first time in Rivers State since the crisis began.

Photos shared online by media aide Lere Olayinka captured the dignitaries in a calm and composed setting, with no visible tension between the once-feuding figures.

Although neither Fubara nor Wike addressed the media at the event, observers see the governor’s attendance as a strong gesture of goodwill, possibly signalling that the rift between the camps may be healing faster than expected.

It remains unclear when the state of emergency will officially be lifted, or when the suspended officials will be reinstated, but the recent string of reconciliatory appearances has raised hope for a peaceful resolution in the oil-rich state.

Saturday’s event, though personal and private in nature, has become a symbolic moment in Rivers politics—offering a glimmer of unity where division once ruled.