President Bola Tinubu on Thursday sat down with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, and key members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, in a closed-door meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to sources, the high-profile meeting was called to settle the long-standing political crisis in Rivers State, which had earlier forced President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on March 18, 2025.
The President’s intervention came after ongoing tension between Governor Fubara and his former ally, Wike, escalated beyond control, leading to serious political and security issues in the oil-rich state.
This is the first official meeting between Tinubu and Fubara since the President suspended him, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the state legislature under emergency powers.
President Tinubu had earlier noted that the decision was made due to the failure of the governor and the Assembly to resolve their differences, along with rising concerns about peace and order in the region.
Images from the Thursday gathering suggest that progress may have been made. One photo showed the President sitting between Wike and Fubara, all sharing smiles. Another picture showed the two political rivals walking together alongside the Speaker and other lawmakers, giving a hint of a possible breakthrough in the peace process.
Though no official statement has been issued by the presidency or the attendees after the meeting, there are signs that the emergency rule in Rivers could soon come to an end. A short video clip shared later showed the formerly feuding parties chatting, smiling, and shaking hands—moments that seemed unthinkable just weeks ago.
President Tinubu had, in his national address back in March, said his decision to impose emergency rule was based on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. He explained that he could not ignore the worsening political tension in the state. Following the declaration, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd) was appointed to oversee the state’s administration temporarily.
The crisis between Wike and Fubara, which began after the 2023 elections, had torn the state’s political structure apart. Once allies, they found themselves on opposing sides, with lawmakers loyal to Wike threatening impeachment against Fubara over disagreements, including failure to enforce a Supreme Court ruling.
The suspension of elected leaders in the state sparked backlash from various parts of the country. Notable figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and groups like the Nigerian Bar Association and PANDEF publicly rejected the President’s action, calling it unconstitutional and undemocratic.
Before this, the last emergency rule in Nigeria was during President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure in 2013, which affected the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa due to terrorism.
