Tinubu’s Intervention Perpetuates Rivers Wike-Fubara Crisis

President Bola Tinubu’s attempt to mediate the political conflict between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike is likely to worsen rather than resolve the situation, according to political analyst Mahmud Jega.

Jega made the remarks during an interview with Arise Television, monitored by the Media Talk Africa. He argued that the President’s reported stance appears to endorse Wike’s continued influence in Rivers State politics while Wike remains a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This, Jega said, contradicts recent clarifications from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that state governors are the party’s legitimate leaders within their jurisdictions.

“To say that Wike is the undisputed political leader in Rivers contradicts the APC constitution, as initiated recently by the party’s National Secretary and the National Chairman that governors are the leaders of the party in their states,” Jega stated. He noted that Wike is not an APC member, yet the President’s reported blessing of Wike’s role suggests tacit support for his activities within the PDP.

Jega interpreted this as an attempt by Tinubu to leverage Wike to weaken the PDP as an opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections. He contended that this approach effectively hands Wike a “knife” to continue steering political affairs in Rivers State across both major parties.

“This does not look like an attempt to solve the problem. Instead, it is to hand over the knife… to continue the role that he is playing as leader of Rivers politics in both APC and PDP,” Jega said, describing the situation as unprecedented in Nigeria’s political history.

The rift between Governor Fubara and Minister Wike, both formerly of the PDP, has sparked national attention, raising concerns about governance in Rivers State and internal party cohesion. Jega’s analysis suggests that external presidential intervention, framed as a reconciliation effort, may instead entrench the division and solidify Wike’s unofficial cross-party authority, with potential implications for the APC’s organizational integrity and the broader opposition landscape ahead of the next election cycle.