BREAKING: Tinubu meets Sim Fubara behind closed doors in Aso Villa

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, met with President Bola Tinubu on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Fubara walked immediately to the President’s office, where they are currently having a private meeting, after arriving at the Presidential Villa at approximately 5:40 p.m.

As at the time the report was filed, the purpose of the visit was still unknown.

This is Fubara’s first trip to the Presidential Villa since the eight-point accord was signed, following President Tinubu’s intervention in the dispute between him and Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and his predecessor.

Due to the breakdown between Fubara and Wike, Rivers State is currently immersed in a crisis.

Due to the disagreement between Wike and Fubara, 27 members of the House defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in power and whose central government Wike currently holds a ministerial position.

The rivalry also witnessed the creation of parallel sittings, an impeachment plan against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a flurry of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.

The President and a few other prominent figures had already stepped in to address the situation in October, but it had escalated into a full-fledged brawl. A truce was established on December 18, 2023, when Tinubu convened with political gladiators in the oil-rich South-South state, concerned about the current state of affairs.

A few decisions were made at the meeting that included Fubara, Wike, the former governor of the Rivers, Peter Odili, several traditional leaders from the state, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Among these is the agreement between the opposing parties to promptly withdraw all cases that Fubara and his colleagues brought before the courts.

Fubara Not Present During Wike’s Luncheon
The situation was far from resolved despite efforts to end the long-running conflict between the two, as evidenced by Governor Fubara’s conspicuous absence from the luncheon that Wike hosted in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday.

Fubara and his men from the House of Assembly and the two other branches of government were noticeably absent from the luncheon, whereas Wike and several of his allies were present.

Although it was unclear if the Wike camp extended an invitation to Fubara and his men, the governor and his entourage did not show up, and there was no indication that they had sent delegates.

Martins Amaewhule, the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and 24 other legislators who had cross-carpeted with Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were among Wike’s men in attendance.

Samuel Ortom of Benue and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, two former governors in the PDP G5, accompanied Wike, who was dressed in a black shirt and a jacket the color of butter.

Zacchaeus Adangor, George-Kelly Alabo, and a few other Wike-aligned commissioners who left Fubara’s cabinet in the midst of the turmoil last month were also there at the Sunday brunch.

Awaji Igbani, the former speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Senator Barinada Mpigi from Rivers South East, Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency’s Kelechi Nwogu, and Chairman of the Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda, are among the others.