President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday held a closed-door meeting with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as part of renewed efforts to resolve the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State.
The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing concern over governance paralysis and political instability in the oil-rich state.
Although no official statement was issued at the end of the talks, sources familiar with the meeting said the president urged both parties to de-escalate tensions, prioritise governance, and restore normal legislative and executive operations in the state.
President Tinubu was said to have stressed that the Rivers crisis had moved beyond a local political disagreement and now posed broader national economic and political risks, given the state’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
In a development widely viewed as symbolic, Governor Fubara was later seen accompanying Minister Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, a gesture interpreted by political observers as a possible thaw in relations between the two men.
The rift between Fubara and Wike has dominated Rivers politics for months, leading to a fractured House of Assembly, legal disputes, and heightened political tension.
While the outcome of the latest intervention remains unclear, today’s meeting is seen as a significant step toward stabilising Rivers State, with further engagements expected in the coming days.
Observers say concrete progress will depend on follow-up actions, including the restoration of legislative activities and a reduction in public hostilities.