In a dramatic bid to mend fences, suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara reportedly visited Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT, Nyesom Wike, at his Abuja residence, to end the face-off between them which had resulted in the President, Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose State of Emergency on the state.
Although the outcome of the meeting was not disclosed, sources said that the discussion between both gladiators came on the heels of Fubara’s recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu in London over the deepening political crisis in Rivers State.
The crisis, which escalated into violent protests and political paralysis, led President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state earlier this month. In a sweeping move, Tinubu also suspended Governor Fubara and several elected officials for six months pending an investigation and peace resolution process.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Fubara was accompanied to Wike’s residence by Ogun State Governor. Dapo Abiodun, and the state’s former Governor, Olusegun Osoba.
Eyewitnesses described the meeting as emotional, with Fubara reportedly prostrating before Wike, clutching his legs, and repeatedly addressing him as “My Oga” in an open appeal for reconciliation.
The embattled governor was said to have stayed at Wike’s home until the early hours of Saturday, April 19. Although full details of the private meeting remain undisclosed, insiders claim Wike instructed Fubara to return to Rivers State and explain the real cause of their political fallout to elders and loyalists within the state’s ruling structure.
When contacted, Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, confirmed the meeting took place but declined to offer further comment. Fubara’s spokesperson, Nelson Chukwudi, refused to speak on the issue and directed all inquiries to Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Joseph Johnson, who was unreachable at the time of filing this report.
The development marks the latest twist in the ongoing political drama between Fubara and his former mentor Wike, whose falling-out has destabilized governance and party unity in one of Nigeria’s most economically strategic states.
