oil-rich Nigeria’s tensions As Governor Siminalayi Fubara and President Bola Tinubu engaged in tactful diplomacy that might change the region’s leadership, Rivers State may be abating after weeks of political unrest and protests.
The Africa Report claims that two of President Tinubu’s advisers said last week that the president had a private meeting with Governor Fubara, who was suspended on March 18, 2025.
Shortly after Tinubu returned from Paris, the meeting was held in London and was allegedly called by Governor Fubara, who has been keen to take back office ever since the president proclaimed a state of emergency in Rivers State.
“That’s accurate. Last week, the president met privately with Governor Fubara. According to Fubara, he will offer some concessions. A presidential aide, who wished to remain unnamed, told The Africa Report that although negotiations are still in progress, it appears that his suspension will be lifted prior to the six-month mark.
In an effort to win over the president, Fubara is also allegedly ready to joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which might improve the APC’s chances in Rivers State. “The president has a much better chance of winning Rivers State if Fubara joins the APC,” the aide said.
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But according to reports, Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s estranged political godfather and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was not present at the meeting because he feels uneasy about the behind-the-scenes conversations. To resolve the state’s ongoing conflict, however, Tinubu is anticipated to arrange a meeting between lawmakers from Rivers State, Fubara, and Wike.
After two oil pipelines exploded on March 18, President Tinubu suspended Fubara, which sparked the political unrest in Rivers State. The explosion was linked by security officials to a dispute between Fubara and 27 Wike-aligned state MPs. Wike exerted pressure on these members to try to remove the governor from office for suspected constitutional violations, including charges involving the bombing of the state parliament building.
A state of emergency was proclaimed in Rivers State by President Tinubu’s administration in order to stop more instability, since oil money accounts for about 60% of Nigeria’s government income and 90% of its foreign exchange. Tinubu gave former navy chief Ibok-Ete Ibas full governorship and designated him as Rivers State’s only administrator.
The Nigerian Bar Association, organized labor, the opposition, and the media were among those who criticized the proclamation. Opposition leader and former vice president Atiku Abubakar referred to the action as a “power grab” in front of the 2027 election. Even though Tinubu had earlier denounced a similar move by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005, he justified his choice, claiming that he had the constitutional right to proclaim a state of emergency. Nigeria’s parliament later approved the announcement.
