ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – President Bola Tinubu on Thursday night convened a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, bringing together key actors in the protracted political crisis engulfing Rivers State, in a fresh push to restore peace and stability in the oil-rich region.
Those present at the closed-door meeting included Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Martins Amaewhule, and other lawmakers from the state.
The engagement is the latest in a series of interventions by President Tinubu since the crisis, rooted in a bitter fallout between Governor Fubara and his predecessor Wike, erupted in late 2023. The dispute has led to deep political divisions, impeachment attempts, parallel sittings of the state legislature, and an erosion of executive-legislative cooperation.
At the height of the impasse, Governor Fubara was briefly suspended, and a six-month state of emergency was declared—actions that drew widespread criticism from rights groups and civil society organisations.
Thursday’s talks, however, appeared to offer a glimmer of hope. Photographs released after the meeting showed President Tinubu, Fubara, and Wike in relaxed and seemingly cordial exchanges, suggesting a softening of tensions among the key figures.
Sources close to the meeting indicated that the President urged all parties to recommit to the peace deal first brokered in December 2023, which had stalled due to mutual accusations of non-compliance and bad faith.
The rift between Governor Fubara and the Rivers Assembly—dominated by lawmakers loyal to Wike—has paralysed governance in the state, raising concerns over democratic stability and service delivery in one of Nigeria’s most economically vital regions.
Political analysts see President Tinubu’s renewed engagement as a strategic move to douse tensions and ensure a functional political structure returns to the state.
As efforts at reconciliation continue, observers hope Thursday’s breakthrough could mark the beginning of a lasting resolution, with the presidency expected to closely monitor the implementation of any new agreements reached.
