Rivers State, one of Nigeria’s most politically relevant and oil-rich states, has been locked in a firce power struggle since 2023. At the centre of the crisis are two political heavyweights: Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers now FCT Minister and Siminalayi Fubara, the current state governor sworn in on May 29, 2023.
This article compiles the backlog of events in the Wike–Fubara rift, sources the key moments, and offers a balanced analysis: is Wike overreaching, or are other forces at play?
Background
President Bola Tinubu’s August 2023 appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory raised his status nationally while maintaining his close involvement in Rivers politics. Following a controversial election cycle, Fubara was inaugurated in as governor on May 29, 2023.
According to previous reports and sources privy to the development had previously revealed that the FCT minister had specifically groomed Fubara and had put him as his replacement so as to remain relevant in the affairs of the state.
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However, things quickly went sour after Fubara allegedly refused to comply with the original arrangement causing a bitter political crisis in the state.
Timeline — Oct 2023
The first significant rupture occurred in late October 2023, when the Rivers House of Assembly, led by lawmakers aligned with Wike, initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.
A part of the state Assembly complex on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt was damaged by an explosion or fire shortly before. An event that shocked the government and led to allegations and counter-accusations from both sides.
However, following presidential intervention in Abuja, the impeachment notification was subsequently withdrawn.
Timeline — 2024
Tensions simmered throughout 2024 as opposing factions intensified their power. The Assembly, many of whose members are Nyesom Wike loyalist, took actions that limited the governor’s authority, including the disagreements over budget approvals and caretaker committees for local governments.
Timeline — 2025
By March 2025 the crisis further escalated as the State House of Assembly served a fresh impeachment notice in March 2025, and security incidents (including pipeline explosions) further heightened the stakes.
Following this, on March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu stepped in and suspended Fubara along with his entire cabinet, further imposing a six-month emergency rule in the state. The action was contentious and led to numerous legal challenges.
In September of 2025. Fubara was eventually reinstated following a series of inner caucus meetings, consultations and a rumoured apology to Nyesom Wike.
Meanwhile, shortly after his reinstatement, Fubara formally resigned from the PDP and joined the ruling APC. A move many tagged as an attempt to secure his second tenure however, Nyesom Wike was not having it.
Timeline — 2026 and recent developments
Following Fubara’s defection into the camp of the president, Wike in different interviews and media chats has continued to issue diverse threats and warnings. The FCT minister had stated that agreement is agreement and that Fubara’s sudden support for president Tinubu will not guarantee his second tenure
Legal disputes and threats of impeachment persisted until 2026. In January 2026, the Assembly began a third effort at impeachment, but courts at different points postponed or halted proceedings. A few lawmakers who were purportedly on Wike’s side also withdrew their support for impeachment in January 2026, highlighting the standoff’s fluidity and shifting alliances.
Nyesom Wike also added that his political career will be buried if Fubara emerged governor in the next elections. Insisting that he will go above and beyond to ensure that Fubara does not have a second tenure.
It is believed that several undisclosed actions have gone down following his wild threats and declarations. This is widely believed as pro Wike groups at different points in the state have protested that there is no Rivers without Nyesom Wike.
Despite the APC confirmation of Fubara as APC leader in Rivers state, and the State’s chief Judge refusing to constitute a panel to probe Fubara, Wike has refused to relent.
Very recently, on January 22, presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala reiterated that indeed Governor Fubara is the leader of the party in Rivers and should be allowed to serve his term.
In response to that affirmation, Nyesom Wike dismissed the reports, claiming that his influence goes beyond official party boundaries.
According to Wike, the “Rainbow Coalition for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” a cross-party political campaign, has brought together all of Rivers’ key political interests into a single support group.
He made it clear that the coalition’s primary goal is to guarantee Governor Fubara’s removal, even as he pledged his machinery’s complete support for the President’s pursuit for a second term.
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Analysis — Is Wike doing too much?
Determining whether Nyesom Wike is ‘doing too much’ depends on perspective. While there is evidence that Wike exerts intense influence: he has deep patronage networks in Rivers (built during his years as governor), loyalists in the state Assembly, and a national office (FCT Minister) that bolsters his clout, there are also factors that complicates the narrative, suggesting that the crisis may not be a one-man show.
Political consequences
There are real consequences to the protracted public conflict: the PDP’s internal cohesiveness is stretched, investors and regular residents confront uncertainty, and governance has been affected (budget delays, policy paralysis). A succession of court cases, federal interventions, and impeachment petitions runs the risk of normalising extraconstitutional solutions to political disputes.
Is Nyesom Wike doing too much? The short answer is: he is certainly very active — perhaps unusually so for a minister — in Rivers political affairs. But the situation is multi-dimensional: long-standing local rivalries, the personal ambitions of multiple actors, and institutional weaknesses have turned what might have been a policy disagreement into a prolonged power-drunk struggle. A sustainable resolution will require dialogue, impartial legal adjudication, and space for Rivers’ electorate to hold leaders accountable.
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