By Peter Omopo
Port Harcourt | June 28, 2025 — In a rare joint public appearance amid ongoing political tensions, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, on Saturday attended the burial of the uncle of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The event drew a host of political dignitaries, including the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, further highlighting the significance of the gathering in the context of the state’s protracted leadership crisis.
Their joint appearance comes just days after a high-level reconciliation meeting in Abuja brokered by President Bola Tinubu, who has been leading efforts to mediate the crisis between Wike and his political protégé-turned-opponent, Fubara.
At the meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Tinubu engaged all key actors in the Rivers power struggle, including Wike, Fubara, Amaewhule, and members of the state legislature. The President had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, citing worsening insecurity and a total breakdown in governance coordination.
The Abuja peace effort followed months of political deadlock that saw the suspension of Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire state House of Assembly.
Saturday’s appearance at the burial has been widely interpreted as a symbolic gesture of unity and a potential thaw in the deepening crisis that has gripped Rivers State.
Political observers say it remains to be seen whether the show of solidarity will translate into a durable political resolution or merely a temporary truce.
