Photo: Governor Fubara, President Tinubu,and Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has pledged to restore peace between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, assuring his predecessor that he would avoid actions that could be interpreted as disrespectful.

This was the outcome of their yesterday’s closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, in Abuja.

Although President Tinubu had previously brokered a peace agreement between Wike and Fubara, political tensions resurfaced several months after the emergency rule was lifted.

President Tinubu convened the meeting as part of efforts to de-escalate the growing rift between Wike and Fubara.

Recently, a fresh impeachment move was initiated against Fubara by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly believed to be loyal to Wike.

The lawmakers accused the governor of gross misconduct, including the demolition of the Assembly complex, alleged extra-budgetary spending, withholding of funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission and failure to comply with a Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the state legislature.

The Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, was also accused of reckless expenditure, obstructing the activities of the House, and permitting unauthorised persons to occupy offices within the Assembly complex.

The allegations followed earlier accusations made against the governor and his deputy before the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025, which resulted in the suspension of both officials for six months.

•Logos of the coalition

COALITION of seven civil society organisations in Nigeria on Monday urged the INEC to issue the election timetable and schedule for the 2027 general election in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 without further delay.

The coalition also called on the conference committee members constituted by the Senate and House of Representatives, to approach the harmonisation deliberations guided by national interest, institutional integrity, and democratic accountability rather than narrow partisan calculations.

The coalition comprises the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC); Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa and Yiaga Africa.

In a statement signed by the leadership of the organisations, They noted : ” INEC’s established policy framework schedules general elections for the third Saturday of February in the election year, a convention designed to provide certainty for electoral stakeholders, facilitate systematic planning, and accommodate potential contingencies such as reruns, runoff elections, and post-election litigation.

” Applying this framework to the 2027 cycle yields an election date of February 20, 2027, requiring notice issuance by February 24, 2026.

They pointed out that the delay in concluding the electoral amendment introduces legal uncertainty that may compromise preparations for the 2027 elections.

“Section 28 (1) Electoral Act 2022 empowers INEC to issue a notice of elections 360 days before the date of the election. Legal uncertainty created by ongoing amendments has apparently deterred INEC from releasing the timetable for the 2027 elections, placing the Commission in potential violation of the extant law,” said the coalition, demanding that the National Assembly should expeditiously conclude the amendment process and transmit the final bill to the President within two weeks.

“As key stakeholders in the electoral process, we urge citizens and all stakeholders to demand accountable representation from their legislators in the National Assembly by pressuring them to prioritise the public interest and the integrity of the elections by passing the provisions on real-time electronic transmission of election results, curtailing the disenfranchisement of voters by introducing downloadable PVCs, and resisting any attempt to weaken established timelines that are crucial for conducting the elections,” they said.

• Peter Obi address the protesters

Protesters on Monday besieged the entrance of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, insisting that electronic transmission of results is critical to strengthening trust in Nigeria’s elections.

The protest, tagged ‘Occupy National Assembly’, follows the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which the lawmakers rejected a proposal to make electronic transmission of results mandatory, a decision that has continued to attract criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures across the country.

The protest, organised by Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists and civil society groups, was joined by Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election ( and now in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party.

Obi faulted the Senate’s decision and urged lawmakers to allow the electoral process to run without restrictions.

“Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?” he said.

Obi emphasised that the rejection of electronic transmission of results by the Senate undermines public confidence in the electoral process and raises concerns about transparency and credibility ahead of future elections.

The protesters called on the National Assembly to reconsider the clause in the interest of democratic integrity.

Participants at the demonstration included members of civil society organisations, women’s groups and a handful of members of the opposition , who converged at the main entrance of the National Assembly early on Monday morning.