With the political war apparently over, attention has shifted to whether the governor can rebuild confidence, secure legislative cooperation and end the governance lull in Rivers. MIKE ODIEGWU reports from Port Harcourt.

The recent declaration of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has changed the entire political landscape of the state ahead of the 2027 election. But beyond politics, the governor’s statement has also had far-reaching effects on the sustainability of the existing peace in Rivers.

While attending a foundation-laying ceremony for a private sector project in Rivers State, Fubara was blunt. He publicly declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief Nyesom Wike-led Rainbow Coalition and all the coalition’s candidates, including the state’s 2027 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ovunda Kingsley Chinda. Government

The governor officially closed the chapter of the protracted political war in the state. He called on his supporters to join him in embracing the existing peace and political unity in the state ahead of the general election. Fubara told everyone waiting for the escalation of the war to wait no more.

He insisted that the period of political conflict in Rivers State was over and urged residents to rally behind the Rainbow Coalition. He quickly dismissed suggestions that he was maintaining a separate political agenda, insisting that he had fully reunited with his political family.

Fubara stressed that he would not be associated with any action capable of causing division in Rivers State.

He said: “We have made peace in the State and I am supporting our Rainbow Coalition. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is our President, and the one we are supporting. O.K Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support every candidate under the Rainbow Coalition.

“For those of you who are saying, ‘Fubara, let’s stay, we want to collect something before we run,’ there is nothing to collect. I am already in the family. I have gone back to our family. Please, wherever you are, give your total support to that coalition. We need to move forward. The time of war is over; we are in the time of peace, and this peace is taking us to another level. I am not party to anything that will bring any form of disunity in this state. I have done what I need to do. From now on, we are moving forward,” he added.

Indeed, Fubara’s pronouncement invoked mixed feelings in the state. Some of his supporters felt betrayed and disappointed by the governor’s position. Members of the disappointed group were said to be persons who waited patiently, believing that the governor had a plan to set up an alternative political movement as part of a grand plot to displace Wike and his Rainbow coalition. They wanted the governor to leave his benefactor and throw his weight behind candidates of other parties not affiliated with Wike. This category of people wants to oil the wheels of the crisis; maintain the political dichotomy in the state to remain politically and materially relevant throughout Fubara’s tenure.

But the governor’s decision ended their ambition. They accused the governor of betraying their support and throwing them under the bus. But some analysts see them as merchants of crisis, who wanted the political war to continue for their selfish interests. They reminded them that their support for Fubara was not free. Most of them capitalised on the crisis to amass wealth, build mansions, acquire exotic vehicles and own landed property in expensive areas. Therefore, they lacked the moral rectitude to accuse the governor of betraying them.

Another category of people welcomed the declaration of Fubara. They were tired of the political crisis, which had set the state developmentally backwards. They saw the father-and-son war as unnecessary and viewed the governor’s decision to end it as an important step for the state’s progress. This category of persons immediately aligned with the governor and vowed to return with him to the Rainbow Coalition.

But others, especially leaders of the coalition, are said to be cautiously analysing Fubara’s decision. According to them, the governor’s antecedent gave rise to their doubts. They see the governor as someone who can no longer be trusted. They recalled that on some occasions in the past, the governor had made similar declarations, but later engaged in actions they claimed deepened the crisis.

They remembered that though Fubara agreed not to seek reelection, he later made efforts to contest and even pushed his foot soldiers to obtain nomination forms, but the APC disqualified them. Some of the leaders were said to be reasoning that Fubara’s declaration could be a bait for the House of Assembly to pass his 2026 Appropriation Bill.

In fact, observers believe that Fubara must first win the confidence of members and leaders of the coalition. His next phase should be confidence-building. He must clear all their doubts by ensuring that he walks the talk. The governor, in the future, should engage and involve them in his activities as well as identify with the programmes and events of the coalition. He should close his doors against persons capable of mounting pressure on him and influencing him to rethink his decision.

In the interest of the state, Fubara is expected to get busy and think of how he can finish his administration on a strong note. Already, most people seem disappointed in the lacklustre character of his administration. Rivers has strangely become dull; gruelling in inactivity. Since his resumption after the emergency rule, Fubara seems to be trying to find his feet in governance. Most common daily government activities are missing. The governor is hardly visible; rarely comments on disturbing issues affecting the state and is scarcely seen anywhere attending to issues of state importance.

Fubara is expected to rediscover the spark that once endeared him to the people of the state. The governor used to be busy visiting numerous project sites to monitor execution compliance. He used to issue instructions and directives on trending challenges in the state. But all that has stopped.

Most projects in the state are said to have stopped; a few others are reportedly progressing at a snail’s pace.

Observers blame the prevalent dullness and lull in the state’s administration on a lack of a functional budget. The last known budget in the state was prepared and approved by the Federal Government and operated by the interim administration of Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) during the emergency rule. It expired after six months on December 31st, 2025. Fubara’s government relied on the six-month grace period provided by the constitution, which expired on June 30th, 2026.

Currently, Rivers State has no budget. Two weeks ago, the governor presented his 2026 Appropriation Bill before the House of Assembly, but since then the lawmakers have yet to discuss it.

While all eyes are on the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly to pass the budget, stakeholders are expecting the governor to seize the opportunity of his return to his political family to facilitate the passage of the 2026 Budget.

Some public commentators asked the governor to pummel his body and inebriate himself to ensure that he leaves a lasting legacy within the remaining period of his tenure.

The Founder of the Future Nigeria Movement (FNM), Livingstone Wechie, said Fubara must use the remaining period of his government to activate governance in Rivers. He said the governor should wake up from his slumber and ensure that he etch his name in Rivers history books as a performer. According to him, if Fubara allowed the current state of affairs to remain till the end of his tenure, posterity would not be kind to him.

Wechie insisted that with his decision to return to his political family, the governor had no more distractions and should focus on delivering a significant chunk of the promises he made to Rivers people.

Wechie, a lawyer, also advised the leaders in the Rainbow Coalition to eschew unnecessary suspicions and welcome the governor with open arms. He appealed to the Rivers State House of Assembly to expedite the consideration of the governor’s 2026 Appropriation Bill to give Fubara a budget.

He said: “Since he has resigned from mainstream political activities during this time, which means he is not seeking reelection, he should trigger his primary duty, which is governance.

“He should ensure that now that he doesn’t have distractions, all that he promised Rivers people within these four years are fully actualised. His political journey, which was fraught with many contradictions, affected governance so much that what he can leave now as a legacy is to ensure that the state has a reasonable measure of benefits from all he promised Rivers people within this period.

Also, a former Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Darlington Nwauju, appealed to Fubara to immediately redeem the social contract he entered into with Rivers people.

He, however, said the governor’s ability to deliver on the social contract was promised on the passage of the 2026 budget. Nwauju lamented that the government had not responded well to various issues affecting the people of the state.

He said: “I suggest he fall back immediately to as much as possible redeem the social contract with Rivers people. This, of course, is premised on the swiftness of the passage of the budget.

“The government has not responded well to the need of our people to improve the sanitary situation in Port Harcourt; not much has been done in the agricultural sector; investing in the purchase of closed-circuit televisions to improve the overall security infrastructure of the state are issues I would love to see addressed soonest”.

Obviously, to many people, Fubara’s return to his political family is a welcome development. He should return fully, not with rhetoric, and his reintegration should deliver development to the state and protect the interests of the people in the spirit of his Rivers First mantra. Therefore, the governor must race to get his budget approved by the House of Assembly to enable him to use the remaining period in his calendar to finish strong. (The Nation)

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