Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has asked supporters to stop referring to him as their leader, declaring the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the political leader of the state.
Fubara made the statement on Tuesday in Port Harcourt during the unveiling of candidates of the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Those that called me my leader during the crises, please stop calling me my leader. We have a common leader now, which is His Excellency Chief Nyesom Wike,” the governor said.
The statement comes after months of political tension between Fubara and Wike, whose dispute triggered a major crisis in Rivers State.
In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, leading to the suspension of the governor, his deputy and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The emergency rule ended in September 2025, when Fubara returned to office.
Fubara and Wike have held reconciliation meetings in recent months amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Rainbow Coalition’s candidate unveiling attracted political stakeholders from several parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
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