Barely three months after President Bola Tinubu brokered a fragile peace deal between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, political tensions in Rivers State have flared up once again.
Information gathered indicates that lawmakers loyal to Wike—led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule—are gearing up for another confrontation with the governor, reopening a crisis that first erupted in 2023 over control of the state’s political structure.
The conflict escalated further in 2024 when Amaewhule and his bloc joined the fray. In December 2023, 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC—an action that prompted pro-Fubara lawmakers to declare their seats vacant by July 2024, intensifying the political standoff.
The turmoil dragged on until May 18, 2025, when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy and the State House of Assembly for six months. Peace appeared to return on July 27, 2025, when Tinubu met with Fubara, Wike and Amaewhule at the State House and negotiated a truce.
Fresh Hostilities Begin
The fragile calm shattered again on December 1, 2025, when Amaewhule accused the Fubara administration of allowing public primary and secondary schools in Rivers State to deteriorate. In a widely circulated video, he condemned what he described as rampant decay—schools overrun by vandals, shortages of teachers, and classrooms where a single teacher supervises multiple classes at once.
16 Lawmakers Dump PDP for APC
The tensions escalated further on December 5, when Amaewhule and 15 other lawmakers defected from Fubara’s PDP to the APC. The defectors include Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol and members representing constituencies such as Akuku-Toru, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Eleme, Asari-Toru, Degema, Etche and Andoni.
Assembly Challenges Fubara Over Commissioner List
Another conflict point emerged when the Assembly criticised Governor Fubara for failing to submit a list of commissioner nominees for screening. During its first sitting after the lifting of the state of emergency in September 2025, the House asked the governor to forward nominees to restore effective governance.
Fubara had earlier dismissed all commissioners appointed during the crisis, citing a Supreme Court ruling that recognised only the Amaewhule-led Assembly. However, his delay in sending a fresh list has now become another flashpoint.
Political Actors React
ADC: “Rivers State Cannot Afford Another Crisis”
Leader Sampson, Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, criticised both sides for allowing a renewed crisis to take root. He warned that personal interests must not be placed above the welfare of citizens.
“This is clearly not what the state needs at this time,” Sampson revealed. “The earlier peace was never genuine; it was driven by the interests of a few individuals. The moment Amaewhule attacked the governor, we knew something was brewing.”
He cautioned that while political manoeuvring is expected, it must not endanger the stability of the state.
PDP’s Austin Okai: “Fubara Has Been Left Behind”
PDP chieftain Austin Okai, meanwhile, questioned why Governor Fubara appears isolated within his own party despite the reconciliation efforts.
According to Okai, “Wike’s movement to the APC did not include Fubara. He is now alone. Even some of those who once stood by him have left because he went back to his vomit.”