Rivers governor Fubara reconciles with Wike after meeting Tinubu

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has confirmed that he has reconciled with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, after months of political tension in the state.

Speaking to State House correspondents on Monday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Fubara said his visit was primarily to officially notify the President of his resumption of duty following the lifting of a six-month suspension.

The governor described his engagement with President Tinubu as a “father-and-son” conversation, noting that he also sought the President’s advice on how to ensure lasting peace and prevent future political crises in Rivers State.

On the purpose of his visit, he said: “You’re aware that the suspension was lifted midnight of the 17th, and I came in on the 19th. Ideally, it’s proper for me to see Mr. President and to tell him that I’m back, and I’ve also resumed my responsibility as the governor of Rivers State.

“It’s not much. It’s a father-and-son discussion, telling him thank you and seeking his guidance so we don’t find ourselves in any situation that will bring crisis again.”

On what the President told him, Fubara said: “He advised me on what to do and how to go in the right direction.”

When asked whether real peace had returned to Rivers, Fubara replied: “As far as I’m concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together.”

Fubara, dressed in a white caftan and black cap, arrived at the Villa around 6:20 pm.

This was his first meeting with President Tinubu after his suspension and the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers on September 18, 2025.

Tinubu had, in a March 18 broadcast, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended democratic structures, and appointed a sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs.

Fubara’s visit came shortly after the President met separately with the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji; and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, among others.

(Vanguard)