- Tinubu steps in to stop Fubara impeachment plot
- Order reportedly directed at Wike and his allies
- Crisis linked to long-running Rivers power struggle
- Truce said to come with tough conditions for Fubara
President Tinubu has again stepped into the escalating Rivers State political crisis, directing Nyesom Wike and his loyalists to abandon plans to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.
The Rivers State House of Assembly had, on January 8, commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy over allegations of gross misconduct. The move marked the third impeachment attempt against the governor since he assumed office in 2023.
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The latest push followed renewed tensions between Fubara and Wike, who publicly accused the governor of violating the terms of a peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu in June 2025.
According to a report aired on ARISE News, Tinubu ordered an immediate suspension of all impeachment plans, warning that continued political hostilities could further destabilise the oil-rich state and cripple governance.
“The president made it clear that political warfare must stop, as it poses a serious threat to stability and governance in Rivers State,” a source cited in the broadcast said.
However, the report noted that Tinubu’s intervention came with strict conditions. The president reportedly asked Governor Fubara to formally recognise Wike as the political leader of Rivers State, with final authority over party affairs.
ARISE TV further disclosed that Tinubu described Wike as an elder statesman whose political influence could not be ignored, stressing that political seniority must be respected despite personal differences.
Sources said the directive was issued shortly before the president departed Nigeria for an official visit to Türkiye on January 26, 2026, following fresh impeachment threats from lawmakers aligned with Wike.
The rift between Fubara and Wike dates back to shortly after Fubara’s inauguration in May 2023, when the governor began asserting independence from his former political benefactor. The disagreement later escalated, leading to Tinubu’s earlier intervention and the declaration of emergency rule in the state in March 2025.
Observers say the latest move by the president is aimed at preventing another breakdown of governance in Rivers State, which has remained sharply divided along
political lines.