President Bola Tinubu held a private meeting in London with suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The encounter, which took place at Fubara’s request, marks the first face-to-face interaction between the two since Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.
Fubara, who assumed office in May 2023, was suspended along with his deputy, Ngozi Odu, after Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution on March 18. Citing “months of intense political instability” that had “paralysed governance” and “threatened national stability,” Tinubu appointed Navy Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the sole administrator of the state.
The President’s move sparked a swift response from opposition governors in seven PDP-controlled states, who took the matter to the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the declaration and demanding a return to democratic governance.
While the specific details of the London meeting remain under wraps, insiders say the discussion centered on restoring stability and the potential early reinstatement of Fubara before his six-month suspension lapses. The meeting came during Tinubu’s extended overseas trip, which began on April 2 and concluded with his return to Abuja after 18 days abroad.
Noticeably absent from the talks was Fubara’s former political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Sources suggest Wike was unsettled by the meeting, which unfolded without his involvement.
Tinubu is expected to hold further talks with Fubara, Wike, and lawmakers from the Rivers State House of Assembly as efforts continue to resolve the prolonged political crisis once and for all