PORT HARCOURT — In a swift and decisive move to reclaim the narrative of his administration, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has appointed veteran journalist Mr. Onwuka Nzeshi as his new Chief Press Secretary. The appointment comes amidst a total “house-cleaning” that saw the sudden dissolution of the State Executive Council and the sacking of all Special Advisers late Thursday night.
Nzeshi takes over from Nelson Chukwudi, who was relieved of his duties without an official explanation. The change at the helm of the Governor’s media team is seen as a strategic move to sharpen the administration’s communication as it navigates a delicate new chapter in Rivers politics.
Clearing the Decks
The total dissolution of the cabinet has effectively hit the “reset button” on a government that has been paralyzed for months by a bitter feud between Fubara and his predecessor, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Outgoing commissioners and aides were directed to immediately hand over all government property, files, and duties to the Permanent Secretaries or the most senior career civil servants in their respective ministries. To prevent a power vacuum, the Governor had strategically sworn in five new Permanent Secretaries just 24 hours prior to the purge.
The “Tinubu Peace Accord” in Motion
This dramatic administrative overhaul is the first visible result of a high-stakes, closed-door meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. President Bola Tinubu, acting as a mediator, reportedly brokered a fresh “peace pact” between Fubara and Wike to prevent the oil-rich state from sliding into further chaos.
What to Expect Next:
- The New List: Sources within the Government House suggest that a fresh list of over 20 commissioner nominees is already being finalized.
- A “Unity Cabinet”: In line with the President’s intervention, the new list is expected to be a compromise. It will likely feature a mix of Fubara’s core loyalists and the reinstatement of certain former commissioners who are seen as bridge-builders between the two warring factions.
- The Assembly Test: All eyes are now on the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly. The screening of these nominees will be the ultimate litmus test of whether the peace deal is genuine or merely a temporary ceasefire.
A State in Waiting
For the average resident of Port Harcourt, the hope is that this “reset” will finally allow the government to focus on service delivery rather than survival. With the hallways of the State Secretariat currently under the management of career civil servants, the political class is holding its collective breath to see whose names appear on the Governor’s letter to the Assembly next week.
As Mr. Nzeshi settles into his new role, his first major task will be managing the optics of a cabinet that must somehow satisfy two masters while serving one state.
