On Sunday, October 5, 2025, the news broke out about the reunion of the political family of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike. The news which many online media outfits feasted on was accompanied by a photograph showing the FCT minister and most of the people on his side of the political divide in the state, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The group was said to have met to smoothen all the remaining rough edges in the peace process brokered by President Bola Tinubu, following the expiration of the three month state of emergency.
Interestingly, it was almost like a replay of the earliest attempt by Tinubu to broker peace between Wike and Gov. Fubara which failed because like the first attempt, Gov. Fubara was the only one in the midst of the ‘wolves’ which Wike and his allies unfortunately represent in the political cauldron in the state. No other person from the larger Rivers stakeholders was sighted in the photograph as having participated in the meeting.
This has left analysts wondering how such a one sided process that is akin to clapping with one hand could heal Rivers State and entrench the elusive peace. The FCT minister, his allies and Gov. Fubara only constitures an infinitesimal fraction of the opinion leaders in the state and so couldn’t have met and concluded that peace has returned.
Even the Rivers elders the minister is parading as part of his group is a faction from the main body, known statewide as Rivers elders led by Chief Rufus Ada-George, a former governor of the state. Wike’s own elders forum is led by Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, who some observers have identified as a member of the group that loiters on the corridors of any government in power, to curry favours.
Such main body of elders in the state led by Ada-George, with members like former Deputy Governor, Sir Gabriel Toby, who deputizes Ada-George, Senator Benneth Birabi, among others, not forgetting the father of all, Dr. Peter Odili, who is revered as the father of modern Rivers politics were all pushed aside by Wike and claiming that peace has been cemented even as the terms remain shrouded in opacity.
The fate of Victor Oko-Jumbo and his group in the state House of Assembly who stood firmly behind Gov. Fubara at the height of the governor’s persecution by Wike is still uncertain as they are not being factored in the peace process with a view to recalling them to the main body. That Gov. Fubara survived up to the point the state of emergency was declared can only be attributed to the deft maneouvres by Edison Ehie, Oko-Jumbo and the other two members of the assembly who remained solidly behind the governor.
So, whichever way the peace is being ‘manufactured’, Fubara should at least be man enough to stand for those gallant lawmakers and ensure that they are reintegrated into the main fold without any condition. For now they are being treated as outcasts. The peace that will endure and unlock the the potentials of the state is the one that is all embracing and not skewed to a certain few treating others as strangers in a state where they are all equal stakeholders.
Lending his voice for inclusivity in the peace process, Comrade Baranu Daniel, Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Khana Local Government, pointed out that the event organized by the FCT minister lacked representation from key stakeholders, particularly the governor and his loyalists, which according to him raises questions about its legitimacy and true purpose.
“The people of Rivers State, and indeed all Nigerians, should be wary of any peace initiative that appears one-sided and exclusionary. It is crucial for any peace effort to involve all relevant parties to ensure a genuine and lasting resolution. The absence of prominent figures in the peace meeting undermines its credibility and suggests a hidden agenda.
“As a representative of the ADC in Khana Local Government, I urge the good people of Rivers State and Nigeria to reject this lop-sided attempt at peace. We call on all well-meaning Rivers State indigenes to seize this opportunity to assert their ownership of the state. Rivers State belongs to all its citizens, not just a select few who claim to be its leaders and lovers while monopolizing power and resources.
“We appeal to the people of Rivers State to consider the ADC’s vision for the state come 2027. It is time to vote out leaders who have failed to provide basic amenities, choosing instead to enrich themselves and their cronies. The people deserve better leadership that prioritizes their welfare and development. Let’s work together towards a brighter future for Rivers State”, he pleaded.
Another analyst, Ijoma Obi also opined, “the reason it has been difficult for some of us to fully accept the ongoing peace process is simple: if peace is truly genuine, it cannot be lopsided. A one-sided peace is fragile and bound to collapse.
“For reconciliation to be meaningful, it must be holistic, inclusive, and without segregation. It should extend to elders, public office holders, and supporters from both factions”
Ijoma maintained that while the meeting between Wike and Fubara is commendable, it is unfair that elders, National Assembly members, and State Assembly members who stood firmly with the governor during the crisis have been excluded.
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“The sidelining of the Rivers State House of Assembly members, such as Victor Oko Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy Sokari, and Timothy Orubienimigha, excluding Ehie Edison, who resigned and now serves as the Chief of Staff, Government House, makes the reconciliation process incomplete.
“If the governor can freely work with those who once opposed him, even individuals like Samuel Nwanosike, who insulted him publicly,bthen the FCT minister should equally demonstrate tolerance by ensuring state House of Assembly members loyal to him embrace their colleagues who stood by the governor.
He said that key stakeholders and respected elders, including former Governors Peter Odili, Dr. Rufus Ada-George, and eminent personalities like Senator John Mbata, who stood firmly with the governor, etc should be parts and parcel of the peace deal.
“They too must be part of the reconciliation process. True peace cannot be one-sided. Anything less risks making this truce appear as nothing more than a photo opps or a television display of peace.
“For peace to be lasting, all factions must be carried along without undermining those who stood with the governor. Only then can the disoriented and divided supporters, especially on social media where crossfires persist, be convinced that reconciliation is real. The way to achieve this is by bringing everyone to the table. Anything short of that only delays another round of conflict”, he stressed.
