Wike vs Fubara: Influential Rivers Stakeholder Sends Strong Message to Tinubu

• Governor Siminalayi Fubara has faced multiple impeachment attempts since taking office, raising concerns over political stability
• Fubara has been under pressure since taking office in May 2023, raising concerns over political stability
• An influential stakeholder in Rivers State, Anabs Sara-Igbe, sent notable messages to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling APC

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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Port Harcourt, Rivers State - Anabs Sara Igbe, a former spokesperson of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has spoken on the renewed face-off between the Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Similanayi Fubara.

As reported by Daily Trust on Saturday, January 10, the former special adviser to the ex-governor of Rivers, Peter Odili, called on President Bola Tinubu to avert unnecessary tension in the state arising from the third attempt by lawmakers to remove Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, from office.

Rivers: Tinubu urged to avert tensions

Legit.ng recalls that in October 2023, barely a few months after he was sworn in to office as governor, Fubara escaped his first impeachment scare by the whiskers. The second was in 2025, followed by that on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

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Sara-Igbe said that the insecurity situation in Nigeria was bad enough for everybody to worry about, rather than battling with an avoidable political crisis in Rivers state ‘orchestrated by the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.'

Sara-Igbe displeased with Rivers's situation

Vanguard quoted the prominent Ijaw leader as saying:

“If President Tinubu desires victory in Rivers state in 2027 and the Niger Delta as a whole, he should call Wike to order. Wike and the lawmakers should withdraw the impeachment proceedings and allow Fubara to concentrate on his assignment of rendering services to the state."

Sara-Igbe wondered why the lawmakers could not deploy the internal mechanisms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to resolve the misunderstanding between them and the governor as members of the same political party, rather than resort to an impeachment threat.

In the same vein, Sara Igbe asked Wike to 'call his boys to order.'

His words:

"I am calling on Wike, who is the leader and father of the Assembly members, to call his children to order and resolve all the grey areas with them. Governor Fubara has not come out to tell us that he does not want to work with Wike. He has stated that he is ready to work with Wike to ensure that peace reigns in the state. So I did not see what would have triggered this round of crisis."

Read more on Rivers state's political crisis:

• Supreme Court: Rivers assembly sends message to Fubara
• Supreme Court order: Timi Frank mentions who is to be held responsible for breach of peace in Rivers
• Fubara finally opens up on the root cause of Rivers crisis
• Rivers crisis: Court takes action in fresh suit challenging Fubara
• Rivers crisis: Wike speaks on reconciling with Fubara, “Aregbesola is no longer with Tinubu”
• "It is unfortunate": Lawyer reacts to Rivers crisis

Rivers to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Fubara said his administration will implement the Supreme Court’s verdict after carefully reviewing its certified true copy (CTC).

Governor Fubara said his administration is committed to upholding constitutional principles and will act in accordance with the law.

The governor has directed the heads of local government administration (HLGAs) to take control of all 23 local government councils.