Following the 2027 Election and political crisis rocking Rivers, exclusive information reveals that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally coerced Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), following months of intense political pressure, institutional intimidation, and strategic coercion.
This development, sources say, is the culmination of a calculated campaign by the APC-led Federal Government to weaken opposition strongholds across the country ahead of the next general elections
According to sources, the objective is to consolidate power, neutralise political threats, and ensure that President Tinubu coasts to victory in 2027 with minimal resistance.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation describe the pressure mounted on Governor Fubara as “unprecedented and deeply troubling” in Nigeria’s democratic history.
The Federal Government, allegedly using every state apparatus—from the judiciary and security agencies to the National Assembly—launched a coordinated offensive aimed at undermining Fubara’s authority and isolating him politically, until he had no viable option but to capitulate
At the centre of this political storm is Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s political godfather-turned-adversary.
With federal backing, Wike spearheaded a relentless campaign to bring Fubara to his knees. From orchestrated legislative threats to judicial manoeuvers and threats of impeachment, Wike was said to be acting with the full blessing of the Presidency.
“The President wanted Rivers State under control by any means necessary,” one source disclosed. “The fear of 2027 is real. Their internal assessments showed that public discontent was growing over hardship, insecurity, and economic mismanagement. The only way out was to break the opposition and enforce loyalty, state by state.”
The source lamented how Fubara, a governor, was “humiliated, tormented, and politically crushed” to force him into the ruling party.
No governor has been subjected to such abuse of power in Nigeria’s history,” the source said.
How Tinubu Declared Emergency Rule in Rivers State
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a breakdown of law and order and the failure of constitutional mechanisms to resolve the escalating political crisis in the state.
The declaration followed months of intense political turmoil between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Wike.
The conflict, which began shortly after Fubara assumed office in May 2023, led to repeated attempts by a faction of the state House of Assembly to impeach the governor, violent protests, destruction of government property, and a governance vacuum in the state executive council.
Citing the state government’s inability to maintain public order and coordinate essential governance functions, President Tinubu also secured a controversial National Assembly approval for the emergency declaration as required by the Constitution.
He stated that the crisis in Rivers had become a national security concern with implications for democratic stability.
Following the proclamation, Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, were suspended from office, along with key state officials, and the state’s executive and legislative functions were dissolved.
The President then appointed a sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, believed to be loyal to the Presidency, to take charge of governance in the state during the emergency period.
The move was widely condemned by opposition parties, civil society groups, and constitutional scholars, who argued that the declaration was politically motivated and violated democratic norms.
Critics accused the Tinubu administration of using federal power to suppress dissent and consolidate control over opposition strongholds ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite public outcry, the state of emergency remained in effect, and federal security forces took over key government institutions in Port Harcourt, further deepening fears of a creeping authoritarianism under the guise of constitutional emergency powers.
