Pius Nsabe
In what would seem to be the brightest move towards the restoration of political peace in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday night met with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and members of the assembly.
The Journal learnt that at the meeting, the President reconciled the parties whose dispute led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025.
The meeting also reportedly marks the first time Governor Fubara will be seen meeting with the President who suspended him, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers Assembly while declaring the emergency rule in the state. Although there had been speculation that the governor had met with the President secretly in London and in Aso Rock, no one has been able to prove that.
In declaring a state of emergency, President Tinubu had attributed his action to the inability of the governor and the state Assembly to find ways to work together, and the security situation in the state, among other reasons.
Photos from Thursday’s meeting, however, paint a picture of a breakthrough in efforts to resolve the prolonged political crisis in Rivers with one photo showing the President with the governor and minister all smiling.
Another photo shows the FCT Minister and the governor walking side by side with the Speaker and other state lawmakers following them.
According to Channels Television, though the presidency and the parties which met with the president on Thursday night did not make any comment on the meeting, there are indications that the state of emergency imposed on oil-rich Rivers State might be edging toward the cusp of termination.
A short video clip showed the parties who have been at loggerheads, threading allegations for months in a more friendly and jovial mood, marked by handshakes, smiles and photos.
At the height of the political crisis between Fubara and Amaewhule camps, Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, imposed a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy; as well as the Rivers State House of Assembly members for six months in the first instance.
Tinubu hinged his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he can’t continue to watch the political situation in Rivers escalate without taking any action.
There have also been pressure on the President to declare a state of emergency in Benue State, given the frequency and number of killings taking place there by so called herdsmen and bandits.