The long-running political crisis in Rivers State may be entering a new phase as leaders of the Rainbow Coalition have reached what they described as significant progress in their reconciliation efforts with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The development followed a meeting between members of the reconciliation committee and Governor Fubara at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Sunday, the second such meeting in about two weeks.
At the meeting, the committee assured members of the political family that nobody would be victimised or discriminated against on account of past political disagreements as efforts intensify to restore unity within the camp.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Magnus Abe, said the meeting was convened to further deliberate on the modalities for achieving lasting peace and bringing together political leaders who had been estranged by the crisis.
The committee was constituted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as part of efforts to resolve the political differences that have divided key political actors in the state.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Abe said several consultations had been held to determine how members of the political family could work together under the emerging atmosphere of peace.
He said the committee considered it important for Rivers residents to understand the new political direction, describing the progress made so far as good news for people who desire unity, progress and prosperity in the state.
“We are all in agreement and we have made very good progress,” Abe said.
According to him, the coming together of the political actors represented a significant shift in Rivers’ political atmosphere and offered renewed hope that the peace long desired by residents of the state was within reach.
He added that under the reconciliation process, former disagreements would not be used as grounds for victimisation, stressing that every member of the political family would be treated with equal respect.
Also speaking, the South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Samuel Nwanosike, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for opening his doors to the delegation and providing an avenue for the political actors to engage as members of the same family.
Nwanosike described Sunday’s meeting as a major step forward, saying the development demonstrated that the political family was “back” together.
He expressed optimism that the reconciliation would eventually translate into improved governance and greater democratic dividends for the people of Rivers State.
Another stakeholder, Chief Ambrose Nwuzi, said those who believe in Governor Fubara had agreed to embrace peace, arguing that disagreements were normal in human relationships and should not permanently divide political allies.
Nwuzi said the reconciliation process had effectively taken place, adding that the remaining step was for Wike, described as the overall leader of the political family, to formally endorse and seal the process.
“We have reconciled. All that we are waiting for is for the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to put the seal on the reconciliation process which has been going on for the past few weeks,” he said.
The delegation also included the Rivers State governorship candidate of the APC, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, and Mr Tamosisi Gogo Jaja, among other political stakeholders.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of a prolonged political dispute in Rivers State that pitted Governor Fubara against his predecessor and political godfather, Wike, and produced deep divisions among members of the state’s political establishment.
The reconciliation efforts, if sustained, could significantly reshape the political landscape of Rivers State, particularly ahead of future political contests, while potentially bringing together factions that had previously operated on opposing sides of the divide.
For now, the message emerging from the Rainbow Coalition is that reconciliation has moved beyond rhetoric, with its leaders insisting that the political family is ready to put its differences behind it and work together for the interests of Rivers State.
