Fubara meets with Tinubu in Aso Rock, refuses speaking to journalists

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

Fubara who arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:40 pm went straight to the office of the President where they are currently meeting behind closed doors.

The reason for the visit is yet to be ascertained at the time of filing the report. He also did not speak to the press after the meeting.

This is Fubara’s first visit to the Presidential Villa since the signing of the 8-point agreement after President Tinubu waded into the controversy between him and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who is also his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Rivers State has been embroiled in a crisis falling a fallout between Fubara and Wike.

The rift between Wike and Fubara split lawmakers in the House with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in whose central government Wike currently serves as minister.

The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.

In October, the President and some elder statesmen intervened in the crisis but it degenerated into a full-blown fight. Worried by the situation, Tinubu again met with political gladiators in the oil-rich South-South state on December 18, 2023, and a truce was reached.

At the meeting which had in attendance Fubara, Wike, ex-Rivers governor, Peter Odili; and some traditional rulers from the state as well as Vice President Kashim Shettima; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, some resolutions were made.

Among these is that the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.

Fubara Absent At Wike’s Luncheon
Despite efforts at resolving the lingering feud between the duo, the crisis seemed to be far from being over with the noticeable absence of Governor Fubara at the luncheon hosted by Wike in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday.

While Wike was present at the event with many of his allies, Fubara and his men both in the House of Assembly and the two other organs of government were conspicuously absent.

It was not clear whether the Wike camp invited Fubara and his men but the governor and his people were not present and it was not mentioned that they sent in delegates.

Some of Wike’s men present include Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, as well as 24 other lawmakers who had cross-carpeted with him from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike, who donned a black shirt and a butter-coloured jacket, was flanked by ex-governors in the PDP G5 — Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Also, Zacchaeus Adangor, George-Kelly Alabo, and some other commissioners in Wike’s camp who resigned from Fubara’s cabinet last month in the heat of the crisis were at the Sunday luncheon.

Others include the Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda; Senator Barinada Mpigi from Rivers South East; Kelechi Nwogu from Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency; and ex-Speaker Rivers Assembly, Awaji Igbani.