President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday night held a closed-door meeting with key political stakeholders from Rivers State, in a renewed effort to end the prolonged crisis rocking the oil-rich South-South state.
The meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, brought together Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and several pro-Wike lawmakers.
Credible sources who spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting confirmed that President Tinubu directly appealed to all parties to put the interest of Rivers people above personal grievances and political ego.
Tinubu reportedly reminded the warring factions that continued instability in Rivers poses a threat not just to democracy, but also to national revenue and oil production. He urged Governor Fubara to reach genuine reconciliation with the Assembly, while also tasking Wike to allow peace to reign.
This is the first time Governor Fubara would meet with the President since the federal government declared a six-month emergency administration in Rivers, suspending both the governor, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the Assembly, and appointing former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas (rtd), to oversee governance in the interim.
The political impasse escalated when 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike moved to impeach Fubara, leading to the demolition of the Assembly complex, emergence of rival Speakers, and sharp division within the PDP power bloc.
Sources said, President instructed all parties to return to status quo, and hinted at withdrawing emergency oversight “if real peace returns.”
A communique from the Presidency is expected to be released in the coming days, detailing agreed terms and expectations from both camps.
