President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has waded into the lingering political crisis in Rivers State, convening a closed-door reconciliation meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, held on Thursday, brought together key actors in the dispute: the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule; and several lawmakers from the state.
This intervention comes on the heels of rising political tension and insecurity in the state, which had led President Tinubu to earlier suspend Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire House of Assembly.
However, the latest meeting appears to be a major step toward peace. Images from the Presidential Villa showed President Tinubu in the company of Governor Fubara, Wike, and the lawmakers in what sources described as a cordial atmosphere.
Governor Fubara was also reported to have held a separate session with the suspended Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, and other lawmakers. That meeting reportedly ended on a cheerful note, with both men seen shaking hands and laughing—marking a sharp contrast to the strained relations of recent months.
Observers say this renewed engagement raises hopes that a lasting resolution to the political crisis in Rivers State may finally be on the horizon.
