By joshua 
Fubara: The political chess game continues
With the lifting of the emergency rule i then Rivers State on September 18, 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the expectations of the people of Nigeria was that peace will reign supreme in the state. Current happenings in the state however is proving that the state governor Sir Siminlaye Fubara has to shift ground or face the political sledgehammer of the state Assembly.
Either for good or bad the political players in the state appeared to understand their onions. That in the last two and half years the state appeared to be in the news for the odd side is a prove that the major political actors in the state are hardly prepared to give peace a chance
In the last three months that Governor Siminlaye Fubara returned to power after the six months emergency rule he has to a large extent mind his office rather than engage in the deep neck political shenanigans in the state. In spite of the governor’s magnanimity for peace in the state, the state House of Assembly members who in the majority are said to belong to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike faction appeared to be indifferent.
Immediately the state of emergency was lifted the state Assembly gave an ultimatum to the governor to re-represent the 2025 budget and list of Commissioners. The ultimatum given to the governor ordinarily should have raised another round of conflict between the Executive and the legislative arm of government in the state but the governor choosed the path of peace and stooped low on the matter. As far as the governor was concerned peace was more important to move the state forward than engage in another round of conflict. That indeed is maturity and a better road for any genuine leader of a state to tow.
But in spite of the genuine peace efforts of the governor, it still appeared some political actors in the state are not ready to give peace a chance? Prior to the processes that led to the lifting of the state of emergency there were fears that the peace efforts might not be genuine from both sides of the divide. This indeed is where the complexities of Rivers State political onslaught lay.
The Rivers State conflict is even more complex when both the faction of both the FCT Minister and that of Governor Fubara always lay claim to been ready to entrench peace in the state. What is difficult to decipher among the actors is the sincerity of their claims. The complexity of the sincerity of the claims by both sides has no doubt contributed to the lingering political crisis in the state.
Only few weeks back the state Assembly led by its Speaker Rt. Hon. amhuwhule called for a state of emergency on the education sector in the state. While it could be acknowledged that the state education sector needed attention the timing of the call within two months resumption of the governor from the emergency rule looked suspicious. The governor on his response noted that the time for project execution was wasted during the six months emergency rule in the state. He noted that his administration was up and doing before the emergency rule cut short many of his good plan for the state. Even the daft is bound to understand that six months is half a year and such precious time could have been used for implementation of government programmes in the state .
As it stands out now no one can tell how the issue of the decadent in the education sector in the state would be settled between the Executive and the legislative arm of government in the state. One thing that is sure is that the political rumble in the state is heading to a destination that may be beneficial to a particular interest in the state.
The recent defection of seventeen members of the state Assembly has raised dust just the way the same members of the state Assembly defected from PDP to APC about a year ago.
Unlike its first defection that lacked clear reasons for such actions and was later denied in Courts, the current step taken by the Assembly members may have its backing on the current open deep divisions in the National leadership of PDP. But that as it is, Political watchers and some Nigerians alike believe the defection is not different from the earlier step it took over a year ago to defect to APC.
Beneath the defection is the rumoured allegations by many Nigerians that the defection is a signal to Governor Fubara to shift his political alliance from PDP to APC or face another round of heat in the state.
As it is now it appears that many Nigerians permutations on the current defection of the Assembly members has found its way in Fubara’s defection from PDP to APC.
After half a year state of emergency in the state, the right way to go is peace and nothing less. Fubara’s current decision in defecting to APC to me is the right thing he has done at least for peace to reign in the state.
To be candid, Nigerians expect that Wike being a major stakeholder in the politics of the state should now tow the path of maturity and give peace a chance. The interest of the majority of the people of the state should be paramount to promote good development in the state.
As it stands now, there are Media reports that Wike has denied knowledge of the seventeen members of the state Assembly. While it is difficult to understand the stand of Wike no one for now can conclude that he is not aware about the defection of the majority of the Assembly members to PDP.
In any case, the believe of the majority of Nigerians is that the defecting members are loyalists to Wike and those who are of the school of thought that Wike is aware of their defection may not be far from the truth.