Siminalayi Fubara is expected to contest the 2027 Rivers State governorship election, according to Opunabo Inko-Tariah, a civil rights advocate and former special adviser on Information to Nyesom Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor. Inko-Tariah stated that Fubara has not rejected the expression of interest forms obtained on his behalf, nor has he publicly ruled out a run, which he interprets as consent. The governor has not made an official statement, but Inko-Tariah believes Fubara will speak before party primaries.
Inko-Tariah dismissed President Bola Tinubu's directive that lawmakers seeking political return should approach their governors, saying the instruction aligns with expectations since 1999 that governors lead their parties. He noted that Wike, now minister of the Federal Capital Territory, remains determined to block Fubara's re-election, citing a lack of goodwill between them. Wike is reported to be backing George Kelly as the next governor of Rivers State.
Inko-Tariah claimed that despite Wike's influence and media campaigns, Fubara would defeat any candidate Wike fields in a free and fair election. He attributed Wike's infrastructure projects in Rivers to what he called "ego altruism," suggesting they were driven more by personal gain than public service. He pointed out that during Wike's eight-year tenure, civil servants received no salary increments, promotions or regular bonuses. In contrast, he said Fubara's quiet leadership style has won him support, even from those who initially saw him as a Wike loyalist.
Inko-Tariah insists Fubara will win a fair election yet acknowledges Wike's machinery will stop at nothing to block him — exposing the contradiction that the same system now said to be rigged was once hailed as transformative under Wike. If Fubara indeed has public support, as claimed, then the need to wait for a last-minute press conference to declare his intent weakens democratic transparency. The argument that bridge-building served personal interests under Wike but development under Fubara lacks clarity on what has changed materially. Voters are left to choose between two narratives built on personality, not policy.
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