President Bola Tinubu on Sunday night brokered a fresh truce between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Presidency officials familiar with the meeting confirmed that although the two political rivals arrived separately at the Villa, they departed together in the same vehicle after the President’s intervention, a development described as a symbolic signal of reconciliation.
“Both of them did not come together. Governor Fubara arrived first, while Wike came later. But after the meeting with the President, they left together in the same vehicle,” a source said. “That alone suggests that some level of settlement was reached.”
Another official confirmed the meeting, saying President Tinubu met with both leaders late Sunday night but declined to disclose details of the discussions.
“Yes, he met them last night. It is true. He spoke to both of them, and they settled, but I cannot say what he told them,” the source said.
Earlier reports indicated that Governor Fubara accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, after leaving the Villa.
The meeting signals a possible turning point in the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, which has disrupted governance in the oil-rich state for nearly two years.
The rift between Wike and his former political ally, Fubara, began shortly after the governor assumed office in May 2023.
Tensions escalated in October when lawmakers loyal to Wike in the Rivers State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor.
In response, Fubara ordered the demolition of the Assembly complex following a mysterious fire incident and relocated legislative activities to temporary chambers, deepening the political impasse.
In December 2023, President Tinubu intervened to broker a fragile peace deal that saw Fubara concede several political appointments to Wike’s loyalists. However, the agreement later collapsed, leading to renewed hostilities.
The crisis reached a peak on March 18, 2025, when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing escalating insecurity and administrative paralysis. The declaration suspended the governor’s executive powers for an initial six-month period and led to the appointment of a sole administrator, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.).
The emergency rule was lifted in September 2025 following another presidential intervention.
Despite the lifting of emergency rule, tensions persisted between Governor Fubara and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, with lawmakers issuing a fresh impeachment notice against the governor in recent months.
Sunday’s meeting at the Presidential Villa is seen as the latest effort by the Presidency to restore political stability in Rivers State.
