Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi. The statement directed all commissioners and special advisers to hand over responsibilities to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior officers in their ministries with immediate effect.
Governor Fubara expressed gratitude to outgoing council members for their service and wished them success in future endeavours.
Political Context
The dissolution comes just 48 hours after Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), confirmed reconciliation efforts aimed at resolving the protracted political crisis in the state. President Bola Tinubu met with key Rivers State political actors, including Governor Fubara and his predecessor, in a bid to ease tensions stemming from a power struggle in the oil-rich state.
The closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa also involved other Rivers leaders and was reportedly aimed at preventing further discord between Governor Fubara and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The intervention follows an ongoing impeachment process initiated against Fubara by lawmakers loyal to Wike, marking the third such notice, which has since become the subject of litigation.
Speaking on Tuesday after inspecting projects in Abuja, Minister Wike disclosed that the meeting on February 9 was initiated by President Tinubu. He stated:
“I have told the assembly to do the needful and obey Mr. President, which I know they will not hesitate to do. I also believe the governor will carry out his own part to make sure that this is the final time Rivers people will hear this kind of discord.”
Reports indicate that after the meeting at the Villa, Governor Fubara accompanied Minister Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja—a move described by observers as a possible sign of easing hostilities.
It remains unclear whether pro-Wike lawmakers will withdraw the impeachment notice or if the latest round of talks will result in a lasting truce in Rivers State.
