Moves to reconcile Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, gained momentum on Tuesday as the Rainbow Coalition group led by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory met with the Governor in Port Harcourt ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The closed-door meeting is believed to be aimed at ending the prolonged political crisis in the state and forging a united front.
Wike arrived at Fubara’s private residence in Port Harcourt with senior coalition figures, including Kingsley Chinda, the coalition’s governorship candidate.
The meeting, closed to reporters, also included former local-government chairmen and other grassroots figures who form a core part of Fubara’s political base.
Neither Wike nor Fubara addressed the media afterward, and officials released no formal account of the discussions.
But people familiar with the meeting described it as part of a broader effort to consolidate reconciliation and build a working relationship between the two camps before next year’s elections.
The talks follow years of conflict between the allies-turned-rivals, including a prolonged standoff between Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The meeting was viewed by analysts as the first time senior leaders of the SIMplified Movement had joined Rainbow Coalition figures in a reconciliation-focused engagement.
Political sources said the discussions were intended to lay the groundwork for cooperation around the Rainbow Coalition’s 2027 campaign, including efforts to return President Bola Tinubu to office and elect Chinda as governor of Rivers State.
The gathering suggests that the two sides may be moving beyond symbolic peace-making toward political mobilisation.
Reports circulating after the meeting said participants stressed continued dialogue, stability and development in Rivers State, though those accounts could not be independently verified.
Chijioke Ihunwo, a former chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and a known Fubara loyalist, said the meeting brought together stakeholders from both camps.
Ihunwo added that political differences should not prevent cooperation.
“Rivers State remains our collective responsibility,” he said, adding that peace should always come first”.
His remarks appear to reinforce expectations that a growing number of Fubara’s supporters may be prepared to work with the Rainbow Coalition, a development that could reshape the political landscape in Rivers ahead of the 2027 vote.
It was a moment that brought together political stakeholders, as supporters of Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara met at the private residence of the Executive Governor,” Ihunwo said.
