President Bola Tinubu, in a strategic move to end the protracted political crisis in Rivers State, on Thursday convened a high-level closed-door meeting with major political stakeholders from the state at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Present at the crucial meeting were the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike; the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule; and other members of the state legislature.
The gathering is believed to be a significant step in ongoing reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring political stability in the oil-rich state. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the atmosphere at the Villa was calm and constructive, with parties expressing willingness to mend fences.
Photographs released from the meeting showed President Tinubu in conversation with Fubara, Wike, and Amaewhule, alongside several lawmakers, signaling a rare moment of unity in the midst of months of turmoil.
IREPORT247NEWS had earlier reported that the suspended Governor Fubara had met separately with Speaker Amaewhule and other aggrieved lawmakers in what has been described as a peace session. Reliable sources confirmed that the meeting ended on a positive note, with Fubara and Amaewhule spotted exchanging a warm handshake and sharing light moments—an interaction widely seen as a symbolic breakthrough in the reconciliation process.
The political impasse in Rivers State escalated in March 2025 when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency due to persistent unrest and instability. This led to Fubara’s suspension from office, ratified by the National Assembly, and the appointment of retired Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas as interim administrator for an initial period of six months.
Thursday’s meeting, according to analysts, marks the clearest indication yet of Tinubu’s direct intervention to bring all sides back to the negotiation table and prevent further deterioration of the situation in Rivers.