The Battle in Rivers – APC and PDP Lock Horns in the Aftermath of the Wike-Fubara Feud.
The political landscape of Rivers State has become a national spectacle, a gripping drama of power, betrayal, and realignment following the very public schism between former governor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, and his successor and erstwhile political protégé, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, a formidable political figure known for his strong-arm tactics and “Mr. Project” persona, single-handedly installed Fubara as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ensured his victory in the 2023 elections. Fubara, the former Accountant-General of the State, was widely seen as a loyal and placid successor who would continue Wike’s legacy.
However, this master-protege relationship collapsed spectacularly within months, plunging the state into a prolonged political crisis that has seen the ruling PDP and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) jostling fiercely for control.
The Illusory Truce and Its Collapse
The first major attempt to de-escalate the crisis was a peace meeting convened by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja on December 18, 2023. After hours of deliberation with the warring factions and other stakeholders, an 8-point resolution was reached, famously known as the “Abuja Peace Accord.”
This truce was brokered to halt the impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara by the Wike-led House of Assembly and to restore a semblance of governance.
Key points included the recognition of the leadership of Martin Amaewhule as Speaker of the House, the withdrawal of all court cases instituted by both camps, and the re-admission of the pro-Wike commissioners who had resigned from Fubara’s cabinet.
However, this truce was stillborn. It began to unravel almost immediately. While Governor Fubara publicly expressed commitment to the peace deal, his supporters and a significant section of the public saw it as a forced compromise that undermined his constitutional authority.
The fundamental issues of political control and autonomy were not resolved, only papered over. The cessation of open hostilities was temporary, with the underlying tensions continuing to simmer, making the “truce” more of a fragile ceasefire than a lasting peace. It effectively stopped on the day it was signed, as neither side truly disarmed politically.
Wike’s Political Reinstatement and the Presidential Lifeline
While Wike was never officially “reinstated” in a formal position, as he had moved to the federal level as FCT Minister,the Abuja Accord was a monumental political victory that reinstated his influence and control over the state’s political structure.
Prior to the accord, his grip was slipping as Fubara began to assert his independence. The accord, brokered under the auspices of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the masterstroke that brought Wike back from the brink of political irrelevance in Rivers.
The major character in this reinstatement of influence was undoubtedly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As the leader of the APC, Tinubu had a strategic interest in stabilizing a PDP state and, more importantly, in rewarding and co-opting Wike, whose lukewarm support for the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections contributed to the APC’s strong showing in the state.
By brokering a deal that favoured Wike, Tinubu not only strengthened his alliance with the powerful FCT Minister but also successfully sowed deeper discord within the PDP’s ranks in one of its key strongholds.
A report from Premium Times on December 19, 2023, captured the dynamics, stating,
“The president’s intervention, while aimed at peace, has been widely interpreted as a political masterstroke that legitimizes Wike’s rebellion and tightens the APC’s indirect grip on Rivers politics.”
The Rationale for the Jostling: Why APC and PDP are at Loggerheads
The intense jostling between the APC and PDP for Rivers State is driven by high-stakes political and economic calculations.
The Prize of an Oil-Rich State: Rivers is the economic jugular of the Niger Delta, contributing immensely to the nation’s oil revenue. Controlling its government means control over vast financial resources, patronage networks, and contract awards.
2027 Electoral Calculations: For the APC, pulling Rivers into its fold or having a pliable PDP governor would be a monumental achievement, making the South-South geo-political zone less of a PDP fortress and boosting the party’s chances in the next presidential election.
For the PDP, losing Rivers, a state it has held since 1999, would be a catastrophic blow, signalling its possible extinction in the region and diminishing its national relevance.
The Wike Factor: Wike’s defection in spirit, if not in name, to the APC-led federal government has created a unique hybrid government in Rivers. He is a PDP member operating in cahoots with the APC.
This has made the state a battleground for what is effectively a proxy war. The APC is jostling to formalize this alliance, while the PDP is fighting to reclaim its assets and punish Wike’s insurrection.
As noted in an analysis by Vanguard Newspaper, “Rivers is no longer a simple PDP affair; it has become a complex theatre of war where the lines of party affiliation are blurred, and the real contest is about raw power and survival ahead of 2027.”
A People Weary of Political Squabbles
The public view in Rivers State is largely one of frustration, disillusionment, and anger. The citizens have watched as the political class engages in a bitter, self-serving struggle while pressing issues of development, infrastructure decay, and unemployment are neglected.
Pro-Fubara Sentiment: A significant portion of the public, particularly the youth, views Governor Fubara as the legitimate leader who is being unfairly bullied by a godfather who refuses to let go. They see the Abuja Accord as an imposition and urge Fubara to “fight back” and free the state from the shackles of godfatherism. Their slogan has become “Let the Governor breathe.”
Pro-Wike Sentiment: Another segment, loyal to Wike, believes Fubara is an ingrate who betrayed the man who made him. They argue that Wike’s experience and political machinery are needed to guide the state and that Fubara has shown incompetence.
However, the overwhelming majority are simply tired of the endless drama. They see both camps as two sides of the same coin,elites fighting over the spoils of office.
A civil society activist in Port Harcourt was quoted by The Punch as saying,
“This whole fight is not about the good of Rivers people. It is about who controls the treasury. We are just pawns in their game, and we are suffering for it.”
In conclusion, the jostling for Rivers State between the APC and PDP, triggered by the Wike-Fubara feud, is more than a local political dispute; it is a microcosm of Nigeria’s larger political crises,godfatherism, party indiscipline, and the politicization of governance.
The truce brokered by President Tinubu on December 18, 2023, far from solving the problem, merely repositioned the combatants and nationalized the conflict. It reinstated Nyesom Wike’s influence, with President Tinubu as the principal architect of that political salvage operation.
The public, though largely a disenchanted spectator, holds the key to the final outcome. The continued instability in Rivers State poses a significant threat to governance and security in the Niger Delta. The ultimate resolution will not come from another Abuja accord but from a genuine, people-centric leadership that prioritizes the welfare of Rivers people over the insatiable appetite for power by the political class.
The battle for Rivers is far from over; it has only just begun, and its outcome will profoundly shape the political map of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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