Tinubu Meets Fubara, Wike, Assembly Leaders, Finally Ends Crisis

President Tinubu, Wike and the lawmakers

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday held a reconciliatory meeting with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Martins Amaewhule, and other lawmakers in a bid to resolve the prolonged political crisis in the state.

The meeting marked the first public interaction between Tinubu and Fubara since the president declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the state assembly over their inability to resolve their differences and the deteriorating security situation.

Photos from the closed-door session suggested a possible thaw in tensions, with Tinubu, Fubara, and Wike seen smiling together, while another image showed Wike and Fubara walking side by side with the assembly leadership. Though no official statement was released after the meeting, the relaxed atmosphere raised speculation that the emergency rule may soon be lifted.

The crisis, rooted in a power struggle between Fubara and Wike’s political camps, escalated when the Wike-backed assembly faction threatened to impeach the governor. Tinubu’s imposition of emergency rule—the first since 2013—drew widespread criticism, with opposition figures, legal experts, and regional groups condemning the suspension of elected officials.

A retired naval chief, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd), was appointed as sole administrator, but Thursday’s meeting signals a potential shift toward restoring democratic governance in the oil-rich state.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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