President Bola Tinubu recently held a private meeting in London with suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in a bid to restore peace in the state, The Africa Report has revealed.
Sources say the meeting was initiated by Fubara, who sought to discuss steps toward resolving the ongoing political crisis in Rivers. This marks the first direct engagement between the two since President Tinubu suspended Fubara and declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18. At the time, Navy Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas was appointed as the sole administrator of the state.
A presidential aide confirmed the meeting, describing it as part of the President’s broader efforts to find a lasting solution to the tensions affecting the oil-rich region.
Notably absent from the talks was Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s former political mentor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Reports suggest Wike was uneasy about being left out of the discussions.
President Tinubu is expected to hold a broader meeting soon with Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to work toward a comprehensive resolution.
This development follows an earlier meeting in London between Wike and lawmakers loyal to him in the Rivers Assembly.