President Bola Tinubu recently held a private meeting with suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in London — the first face-to-face encounter between the two since the declaration of a state of emergency in the state,
According to PUNCH Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the meeting was initiated at the request of Governor Fubara, who has been out of office since March 18, following a presidential proclamation invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. The proclamation cited prolonged political instability and a breakdown in governance in Rivers State.
President Tinubu’s national address at the time attributed the action to months of political unrest that, according to him, had “paralysed governance” and posed “a threat to national stability.” The President also announced the appointment of retired Navy Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as sole administrator of the state.
During the London meeting, President Tinubu and Fubara reportedly discussed the possibility of restoring a functional democratic government in Rivers State. Though official details of their discussions remain undisclosed, insiders suggest the talks focused on the prospect of Fubara’s return to office before the end of his six-month suspension.
Notably absent from the meeting was Fubara’s former political ally and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is said to be unsettled by the unfolding events.
Meanwhile, opposition governors from seven states under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have filed a suit at the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of Tinubu’s emergency declaration and demanding the reinstatement of democratic structures in the state.
President Tinubu, who had been on an extended visit to Paris and London since April 2, returned to Abuja on Monday night after 18 days abroad. He is expected to hold a broader reconciliation meeting with Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the coming days to seek a lasting resolution to the crisis.
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