President Bola Tinubu met with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday evening at the State House in Abuja, marking their first known interaction since the abrupt end to a six-month state of emergency in the oil-rich southern state last Thursday.
The low-key rendezvous, which commenced around 7:00 p.m., unfolded against a backdrop of political upheaval that had gripped Rivers State earlier this year.
Fubara’s reinstatement followed a contentious period of federal intervention, imposed in March amid escalating intra-party feuds within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and accusations of governance paralysis.
Sources close to the presidency described the meeting as cordial and constructive, though details on the agenda remain closely guarded.
Neither the presidency nor Fubara’s office has issued an official readout, fueling speculation about discussions on stabilizing the state’s volatile political landscape, economic recovery, and federal-state resource allocations.
The state of emergency, declared under Section 305 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, was a rare federal override of state autonomy, justified at the time by reports of widespread unrest, including violent clashes between rival political factions and disruptions to oil production in the Niger Delta.
Critics, including opposition figures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), decried it as an overreach by the Tinubu administration, arguing it undermined democratic norms in a region already strained by militancy and economic inequality.
Fubara, a relatively new governor elected in 2023, had faced impeachment threats from a defecting state assembly, amplifying the crisis.
Monday’s encounter underscores Tinubu’s hands-on approach to managing Nigeria’s fractious federalism, particularly in resource-dependent states like Rivers, which contributes over 20% of the nation’s crude oil output.
Fubara, 48, arrived discreetly at the State House, evading the media scrum that often accompanies such visits.
The governor’s office confirmed the meeting but offered no further comment, directing inquiries to the presidency.
Tinubu, who has positioned himself as a bridge-builder since assuming office in 2023, has similarly hosted other governors from opposition strongholds in recent months, including those from Cross River and Oyo states, amid efforts to foster national unity ahead of local elections.
