Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday paid a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos, in what is seen as a significant development in the unfolding political crisis engulfing the state.
The visit comes months after President Tinubu approved the suspension of Governor Fubara alongside the elected members of the state House of Assembly, following a prolonged and unresolved political standoff in Rivers State. The crisis, which pits Fubara against his estranged political godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has plunged the oil-rich state into intense political instability.
While the meeting between Fubara and the President was held behind closed doors at Tinubu’s Lagos residence, sources close to the Presidency suggest it may be part of an effort to reinitiate peace talks and reassess the leadership impasse that has disrupted governance in the state.
President Tinubu had previously intervened in the crisis in late 2023, brokering a short-lived truce between the warring factions. However, tensions reignited, culminating in a sweeping suspension order by the Presidency.
Neither the Rivers State Government nor the Presidency has issued an official statement following the meeting. However, political observers believe Tuesday’s engagement may mark the beginning of a recalibrated response from the federal government to the Rivers State political turmoil.
