Breaking: Tinubu negotiates late-night peace meeting between Wike, Fubara, lawmakers to end political deadlock in Rivers
President Bola Tinubu in a rare face-to-face dialogue on Thursday night, convened a high-level peace meeting with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; suspended Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara; and some suspended members of the State House of Assembly.
The congregation described as a “reconciliation meeting, was disclosed in a post by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X handle @aonanuga1956, on Friday morning.
The meeting, held behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is part of a renewed effort and a major step towards resolving the prolonged political crisis in Rivers State that led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the State.
Presidency sources said while brokering truce among the feuding parties, President Tinubu urged them to embrace peace in the interest of the state’s stability and development.
Although details of the outcome of the meeting were not disclosed, it was gathered that President Tinubu appealed for calm and reconciliation, asking all sides to put the interest of Rivers people above personal ambitions.
Recall that on March 19, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following a spate of political unrest.
As part of the emergency measures, Governor Fubara and his deputy, Dr Ngozi Ordu, were suspended for six months, while the State House of Assembly was also placed under federal oversight.
The President appointed a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retd.), as Sole Administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during the suspension period.
The Thursday night peace meeting is perceived as one of the precursors to reversing the State of Emergency imposed on Rivers State as well as a high-stakes balancing act by President Tinubu to maintain national cohesion while preserving political alliances critical to his administration.