Early this year, Nyesom Wike declared that his political career would be finished if Siminalayi Fubara won a second term. Less than a year later, their camps are sharing meetings, coalitions and photographs. In politics, that is a remarkably short journey from “never” to “let us talk.”
On the night of October 6, the FCT Minister and members of the Rainbow Coalition met governor at his Port Harcourt residence to mend fences before the 2027 contest. By the next day, reports said Fubara’s allies were joining the Wike-backed coalition, while an Amaechi ally, Sokonte Davies, was visiting Wike. The political map of Rivers is being redrawn in real time.
Peace deserves applause. A state that has endured impeachment proceedings, a federal state of emergency and a budget that reached lawmakers only in July has every reason to want calm. But applause should not come before answers.
This is not the first deal. Critics complained that the last pact was never documented for the public, and Wike later threatened to disclose its terms himself after accusing Fubara of breaching it. A truce whose terms only its signatories know can be disputed, or abandoned, whenever it suits them.
The loudest objection so far comes from the South-South Youths Initiative, which says the process sidesteps the governor’s constitutional mandate. An unnamed Fubara ally told Vanguard that Wike effectively controls the council chairmen, the Assembly and the budget. These are allegations, not facts, and that is exactly why disclosure matters. If they are false, openness will dispel them. If they are true, voters deserve to know who really governs them.
So the path forward is simple. The parties should publish the terms of their understanding and explain how the independence of the governor and the Assembly will be protected. They should also ensure the N1.85 trillion budget is implemented on its merits, not traded as political currency.
Voters have a part to play as well. A coalition photograph is a promise, not a result. It earns loyalty only through performance on security, health, education and infrastructure.
Rivers does not need another secret handshake. It needs a public contract, because daylight is the only guarantee that this peace will outlast the next election.
