FUBARA PLEDGES CONCESSIONS AFTER SECRET TINUBU MEETING IN LONDON
Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara may be charting a path toward reconciliation and political survival after a secret meeting with President Bola Tinubu in London, signaling a potential breakthrough in one of Nigeria’s most dramatic political crises in years.
Sources confirmed that the closed-door meeting—requested by Fubara and held during Tinubu’s 18-day European retreat—produced key pledges by the embattled governor to make concessions that could de-escalate tensions in the oil-rich state. A senior presidential adviser mentioned that Fubara “promised to make some compromises,” raising the possibility of his six-month suspension being lifted ahead of the September expiration date.
One official noted that negotiations were still ongoing but emphasized that the agreement could restore Fubara to power, possibly with conditions. The talks come weeks after Tinubu evoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to impose emergency rule in Rivers State, dissolving the civilian government and installing former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as sole administrator. Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, were suspended from office in that unprecedented constitutional move.
The escalating political war between Fubara and his predecessor-turned-adversary, Nyesom Wike—now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory—reached a flashpoint last December when Fubara ordered the demolition of the House of Assembly complex. The move triggered a wave of chaos, including a mass defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
On February 28, the Supreme Court validated the defectors’ membership in the Assembly and ruled that Fubara’s attempts to void their seats were unconstitutional, condemning what it described as one-man rule. The court further blamed Fubara for the legislative paralysis that delayed the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, warning that governance in Rivers had collapsed under his watch.
The political fallout intensified in March, when explosions hit sections of the Trans Niger Pipeline and a manifold in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA. Tinubu, citing intelligence reports linking the sabotage to pro-Fubara militants, declared emergency rule and dissolved all democratic structures in the state.
The London meeting marks the first face-to-face contact between Tinubu and Fubara since the crisis boiled over. Insiders hint that Fubara may be considering joining the APC as part of a deal to end the impasse. “If Fubara joins the APC, it means the President’s chances of winning Rivers State are much higher,” said a presidential aide.
Notably, Nyesom Wike was excluded from the meeting, fueling speculation about a quiet sidelining of the once-dominant Rivers powerbroker. Reports suggest Wike is rattled by any arrangement that could restore Fubara’s authority without his involvement, an indication of a possible shift in the political equation.
legal challenges mounted by seven PDP governors against Tinubu’s emergency declaration remain pending at the Supreme Court, adding further complexity to the resolution process. But sources say the President’s priority is returning normalcy to a vital state where security and oil output remain critical to national stability.
