The political landscape in Rivers State took a turn on Wednesday as Governor Siminalayi Fubara publicly endorsed the governorship candidate backed by his former political rival, Nyesom Wike.
The declaration came months after both leaders ended their long-running political dispute that had divided the state.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Rivers Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt, Fubara openly declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition and urged his supporters to align with the political family he said he had returned to.
The governor’s endorsement is being viewed as one of the strongest signs yet that peace has fully returned between the camps of Fubara and Wike.
Declaring his position before guests and supporters, Fubara left little room for doubt over where his loyalty now lies.
“We have made peace in the state, and we have a total agreement. I am supporting our rainbow party, our rainbow coalition. President Bola Tinubu is our president and is the on we are supporting.”
He continued by announcing his preferred candidate.
“OK Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support him and every candidate under the rainbow.”
Furthermore, the governor appealed directly to his loyalists, asking them to stop expecting political rewards before joining the coalition.
“For those of you 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. So please, wherever you are, give your total support to that coalition.”
Meanwhile, Kingsley Chinda emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after securing 268,497 votes during the party’s primary election held in May.
Interestingly, Fubara was initially screened alongside Chinda for the APC governorship primary. However, he later withdrew from the contest, explaining that his decision was driven by conviction and a desire to protect peace and unity in Rivers State.
In addition, the APC screening committee reportedly cleared several aspirants believed to be loyal to Wike. At the same time, a number of politicians linked to Fubara were said to have been disqualified from the Rivers State House of Assembly primaries.
The latest development follows months of intense political tension between Fubara and Wike. Their disagreement had created uncertainty within the state, while lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory reportedly initiated moves to impeach the governor.
However, those political battles have since given way to reconciliation. Consequently, both camps now appear united under the Rainbow Coalition.
