Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is reportedly making moves to ease the political standoff in the state after a private discussion with President Bola Tinubu during the president’s 18-day stay in Europe.
The meeting, held in London, was reportedly initiated by Governor Fubara, who took office in May 2023. Although specific details of their conversation have not been officially made public, a senior aide to the presidency told The Africa Report that Fubara “pledged to make certain concessions” as part of ongoing talks intended to resolve the lingering crisis.
“It is true. Governor Fubara held a private meeting with the president last week. Fubara has promised to make some compromises. Negotiations are ongoing, but from all indications, his suspension will be lifted before the six-month deadline,” the adviser disclosed anonymously.
Insiders revealed that conversations are underway regarding the possibility of ending Fubara’s suspension ahead of schedule. There’s also growing speculation that he could switch allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to better align with Tinubu’s administration. “If Fubara joins the APC, it means the president’s chances of winning Rivers State are much higher,” another aide remarked.
This London meeting marked the first direct engagement between Tinubu and Fubara since the federal government imposed emergency rule in Rivers State on March 18, 2025. The declaration came in response to escalating political tensions and security issues. Following the decision, both Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, were removed, with former Naval Chief, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, appointed as sole administrator of the state.
The emergency declaration was the culmination of a prolonged power struggle between Fubara and his former political mentor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The crisis intensified after Fubara’s December 2023 demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, sparking court battles as 27 pro-Wike lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
In February 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the defecting lawmakers retained their seats, declaring Fubara’s attempt to sideline them unconstitutional. Despite the judgment, governance remained at a standstill as tensions between the executive and legislature persisted.
Fubara’s eventual suspension followed a spate of violent incidents, including attacks on critical infrastructure such as the Trans Niger Pipeline. Tinubu attributed these assaults to militants allegedly aligned with the embattled governor, prompting the emergency measures.
The recent talks between Tinubu and Fubara are being viewed as a strategic effort to stabilize Rivers State’s governance. Though neither party has publicly detailed the outcome, sources close to the negotiations suggest that the groundwork is being laid for Fubara’s reinstatement ahead of the September 2025 expiration of his suspension.
Conspicuously absent from the meeting was Wike, Fubara’s former ally turned rival. Reports claim Wike was displeased by the development, feeling excluded from the decision-making process. Nonetheless, it is believed that Tinubu intends to eventually convene a reconciliatory meeting involving Fubara, Wike, and key state lawmakers to work toward a lasting resolution.
