Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has announced that peace has returned to the state following a high-level reconciliation meeting facilitated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after the closed-door session, Fubara described the outcome as a divine intervention and pledged to do everything possible to maintain the peace achieved.

“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace and by the special grace of God this night, with the help of Mr President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned in Rivers State. We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around,” he said.

The meeting, convened by President Tinubu attracted Fubara and his estranged godfather, Chief Nyesom Wike, who serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Echoing the Governor’s sentiment, Wike affirmed that both parties have buried the hatchet and committed to working together going forward.

“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us. We are members of the same political family,” Wike said.

He acknowledged that while disagreements are a natural part of human relations, reconciliation is also part of the process, and that has now been accomplished.

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“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement. That has been finally concluded today. We have come to report to Mr. President that this is what we have agreed. So, for me, everything is over,” the FCT Minister stated.

He further appealed to all political actors in Rivers to align with the renewed spirit of unity and cooperation, urging: “I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us, to also work together with everybody. There’s no more acrimony. There’s nothing to say.”

The Thursday night meeting, which observers say may mark a turning point in Rivers’ turbulent political climate, follows months of political tension and institutional power tussles between the state executive and factions within the legislature believed to be loyal to opposing camps.

 Tinubu, who intervened in December 2023 to broker a truce, is widely credited for orchestrating Thursday’s renewed peace accord.

Details of the agreement have not been disclosed but both parties emerged from the meeting with visible signs of reconciliation and shared commitment to the state’s progress.

Political watchers now await the practical outcomes of the agreement, particularly in the functioning of the state’s institutions and the long-term stability of the Rivers polity.