In a major development that may signal a turning point in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara held a closed-door meeting in London last week, according to The Africa Report.
The meeting reportedly took place shortly after President Tinubu departed Paris, and was said to have been initiated at the request of Fubara, who is seeking a resolution to the political standoff that led to a state of emergency being declared in the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
According to sources cited by The Africa Report, Fubara expressed willingness to make “some compromises” during the discussion, aimed at facilitating his reinstatement and restoring political stability in the state.
One presidential adviser, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, suggested that ongoing negotiations may lead to the lifting of Fubara’s suspension ahead of the six-month deadline imposed.
“Negotiations are ongoing, but from all indications, his suspension will be lifted before the deadline,” the adviser said.
In what could further alter the political landscape, sources say Fubara is open to aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that could strengthen Tinubu’s political influence in Rivers State, a key stronghold in South-South Nigeria.
A senior aide close to the presidency noted that such a defection would significantly improve the APC’s prospects in future elections.
“If Fubara joins the APC, it enhances the president’s electoral chances in Rivers,” the aide noted.
Conspicuously absent from the London talks was Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Fubara’s estranged political mentor.
Sources suggest that Wike was not informed about the meeting and is reportedly uneasy about the direct lines of negotiation between the president and his former protégé.
Analysts say the London meeting underscores the complexity of the Rivers political crisis and the federal government’s strategic involvement in resolving it.
While details remain scant, expectations are high that President Tinubu will broker a more inclusive reconciliation involving Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the coming weeks.
So far, neither the Presidency nor Governor Fubara’s office has issued an official statement regarding the meeting.
The situation continues to evolve as stakeholders await concrete outcomes from the negotiations.
