In a major political twist that could reshape the 2027 electoral landscape, exclusive information obtained by SaharaReporters reveals that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally coerced Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), following months of intense political pressure, institutional intimidation, and strategic coercion.
This development, sources say, is the culmination of a calculated campaign by the APC-led Federal Government to weaken opposition strongholds across the country ahead of the next general elections.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation describe the pressure mounted on Governor Fubara as “unprecedented and deeply troubling” in Nigeria’s democratic history. …CONTINUE READING
The Federal Government, allegedly using every state apparatus—from the judiciary and security agencies to the National Assembly—launched a coordinated offensive aimed at undermining Fubara’s authority and isolating him politically, until he had no viable option but to capitulate.
At the centre of this political storm is Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s political godfather-turned-adversary.
With federal backing, Wike spearheaded a relentless campaign to bring Fubara to his knees. From orchestrated legislative threats to judicial manoeuvers and threats of impeachment, Wike was said to be acting with the full blessing of the Presidency.
“The President wanted Rivers State under control by any means necessary,” one source disclosed. “The fear of 2027 is real. Their internal assessments showed that public discontent was growing over hardship, insecurity, and economic mismanagement. The only way out was to break the opposition and enforce loyalty, state by state.”
This explains why, according to political observers, the Presidency turned a deaf ear to the outcry from prominent Nigerians and civil society groups who condemned the sustained political siege on Governor Fubara.
Sources say the turning point came during the controversial “2025 London Peace Accord,” a high-level secret negotiation between Fubara and Tinubu.
“It was during this meeting that Governor Fubara agreed to join the APC in exchange for political survival,” one of the sources said.
In April, during a working visit to London, President Bola Tinubu met with suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The meeting, confirmed by The Africa Report, has not been officially acknowledged by the Presidency.
According to officials, it marked the first face-to-face encounter between Tinubu and Fubara since the President declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and removed Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, from office.
As part of the terms, the embattled Governor would be reinstated—albeit under strict conditions—with control of Rivers State’s resources now shared or closely monitored by the ruling party’s power brokers. The same Wike who publicly derided and sought Fubara’s removal is now singing a different tune, recently describing the Governor as “his son” and denying ever fighting him.
In a recent interview with BBC Pidgin, Wike denied fighting with the suspended Rivers State governor, saying, “Fubara is my son, why will I fight with him?
“I’m only fighting against people who want to steal what they did not work for.
“When you don’t defeat them, they will think you….. Defeat them to the final stage.
“Now, they are ashamed because they are being defeated. They are the ones pushing Fubara.”
According to the publication, Wike noted that he had told Fubara during a visit that he was ready for peace — if Fubara was ready as well.
“I told him that you have yam in your hand and the knife, you are the one that knows how you want peace. If you want sincere peace, you take, if you want dubious peace, you also take.”
This abrupt political U-turn has left many Nigerians disillusioned.
“Fubara has been beaten into submission, and Rivers State has been turned into a pawn in the power game of Abuja,” one of the sources said.
“No governor has ever suffered such humiliation as Governor Fubara suffered in the history of Nigerian politics.”
The source lamented how Fubara, a governor, was “humiliated, tormented, and politically crushed” to force him into the ruling party.
No governor has been subjected to such abuse of power in Nigeria’s history,” the source said.
How Tinubu Declared Emergency Rule in Rivers State
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a breakdown of law and order and the failure of constitutional mechanisms to resolve the escalating political crisis in the state.
The declaration followed months of intense political turmoil between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Wike.
The conflict, which began shortly after Fubara assumed office in May 2023, led to repeated attempts by a faction of the state House of Assembly to impeach the governor, violent protests, destruction of government property, and a governance vacuum in the state executive council.
Citing the state government’s inability to maintain public order and coordinate essential governance functions, President Tinubu also secured a controversial National Assembly approval for the emergency declaration as required by the Constitution.
He stated that the crisis in Rivers had become a national security concern with implications for democratic stability.
Following the proclamation, Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, were suspended from office, along with key state officials, and the state’s executive and legislative functions were dissolved.
The President then appointed a sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, believed to be loyal to the Presidency, to take charge of governance in the state during the emergency period.
The move was widely condemned by opposition parties, civil society groups, and constitutional scholars, who argued that the declaration was politically motivated and violated democratic norms.
Critics accused the Tinubu administration of using federal power to suppress dissent and consolidate control over opposition strongholds ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite public outcry, the state of emergency remained in effect, and federal security forces took over key government institutions in Port Harcourt, further deepening fears of a creeping authoritarianism under the guise of constitutional emergency powers.
