President Bola Tinubu took his 2027 re-election campaign to Port Harcourt on Saturday, using a packed rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium to celebrate the truce between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. Fubara, in turn, promised the President no fewer than three million votes from the state.
The rally, which came a day after Tinubu inaugurated projects and addressed supporters in Akwa Ibom, was organised by the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform that brings together APC and PDP structures in Rivers, according to Vanguard and National Accord. Other outlets, including QED and Legit, described it as an APC presidential campaign rally.
Tinubu to Fubara: “You will not regret it”
Addressing the crowd, Tinubu thanked Rivers voters for the support they gave him in 2023 and asked them to renew it at the presidential election, which reports put at 16 January 2027. He singled out Fubara for praise, commending what he called the governor’s maturity and respect for elders during the long political crisis in the state.
According to Vanguard, National Accord and QED, the President told the governor he would not regret the path he had chosen for as long as the leaders present were alive. QED reported that Tinubu rose to embrace Fubara after the governor’s speech, and that he also described Wike as a key partner in delivering infrastructure.
Tinubu used the platform to defend his economic record, saying salary and pension arrears had been cleared in 27 of the 36 states and that his reforms were setting Nigeria on a path to prosperity. He also presented his manifesto for a second term and took aim at ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar, questioning how the former vice president came to own a private university, Vanguard reported.
Fubara pledges three million votes “under Wike’s leadership”
Fubara declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition and promised that Rivers would deliver at least three million votes for Tinubu, a figure reported by Vanguard, National Accord, QED, Legit and ThisNigeria. He said the votes would come under the guidance and leadership of Wike, a striking statement from a governor who spent much of the past three years locked in a bitter feud with his former political godfather.
The governor thanked the President for stepping in to resolve the crisis. Vanguard quoted him as saying, “A good gesture deserves reciprocity.”
Wike: “We did not mobilise anybody from any other state”
Wike told the crowd the turnout proved Rivers people had already made up their minds to back Tinubu, insisting the rally had not been padded with supporters bussed in from neighbouring states. National Accord reported him as saying the state had received no fewer than 47 federal appointments under Tinubu, and he pointed to federal projects such as the Bonny-Bodo Road and the Federal University of Environment in Ogoniland.
The minister also accused former governor Rotimi Amaechi, now running mate to Atiku on the ADC ticket, of failing to account for funds meant for the Karibi-Whyte Specialist Hospital project. Amaechi has not been reported as responding to the claim.
Ahead of the event, Wike had projected that more than 70,000 people would attend, according to ThisNigeria, although the stadium seats about 40,000. Reporters described the venue as packed, with crowds spilling into surrounding streets, but no independent attendance figure was given.
Shettima and party leaders turn on opponents
Vice President Kashim Shettima urged the South-South to back the President’s re-election and claimed Nigeria’s foreign reserves had grown sharply under the administration. He was also reported to have dismissed Atiku and NDC candidate Peter Obi in harsh terms.
Those present included First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, campaign council Director-General Abdulaziz Yari, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and several governors and senators, according to Vanguard and National Accord.
Background: from emergency rule to reconciliation
The Wike-Fubara rift began in 2023, soon after Fubara succeeded Wike, and split the Rivers House of Assembly. In March 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, suspending the governor, his deputy and the lawmakers for six months. The emergency was lifted in September 2025. Legit reported that a fresh impeachment move in January 2026 was halted after reconciliation efforts.
Saturday’s show of unity marks a major political shift in the oil-rich state, which has more than three million registered voters and was one of the most contested battlegrounds in 2023.
What happens next
The Rivers stop is part of the APC’s nationwide campaign timetable, which has Tinubu leading rallies in 12 states. Opposition parties are expected to respond to the claims made at the rally, while the ADC continues its legal fight to restore Atiku’s ticket after a Federal High Court judgment last week. Whether the Wike-Fubara alliance holds through to January will be closely watched in the state.
Sources: Vanguard, National Accord, QED, Legit, ThisNigeria.
