MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has announced an end to his prolonged feud with the suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, on Thursday night, confirmed that the crisis has been resolved, following a truce brokered by by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
In a chat with journalists after the closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Wike said both groups arrived at a final agreement to end animosity and work together in unity.
The minister acknowledged that the crisis had remained for months but described the Thursday agreement as conclusive.
“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have time to settle your disagreement.
“And that has been finally concluded today, and we have come to report to Mr. President that is what we have agreed. So for me, everything is over,” Wike stated.
He called for calm among his followers and those of Fubara, urging everyone to work together and put an end to acrimony,
He emphasised that there was no longer any reason for discord.
Meanwhile, Fubara has welcomed the truce, attributing it to divine intervention and a new beginning for the state.
“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. For me, it’s very important that this day has come to be.
“What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, this night, with the help of Mr. President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned to Rivers State,” he said.
Fubara pledged to fully commit to preserving the unity achieved during the meeting, stating that everything possible would be done to sustain it.
Leaders of the state House of Assembly were also at the meeting.
The ICIR reported that the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state might soon be lifted following the president’s meeting with the warring leaders.
Tinubu reconciled the parties whose feud led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by the president on March 18.
The president also suspended the Rivers Assembly. He appointed Ibok Ekwe Ibas, a retired rear admiral, as the state administrator.
Tinubu said the action was taken due to the prolonged crisis between the governor and the state House of Assembly, which he said threatened the peace in the state.
The ICIR reported that Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, imposed a state of emergency on the state, suspending Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months in the first instance.
Tinubu based his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he couldn’t continue to watch the political logjam in the state without any action to address it.
The president’s decision attracted outrage, with many condemning the decision.
The crisis has its roots in who controls the political structure of the state between the two leaders.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is the ruling party in the state.
The crisis took a different turn when the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly threatened to impeach Fubara over his alleged failure to implement a Supreme Court ruling on the political situation in the state.
Nearly 90 per cent of the House members are loyal to Wike.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance