Tinubu to reinstate Fubara, Rivers Assembly
Tinubu to reinstate Fubara, Rivers Assembly
President Bola Tinubu is set to reinstate the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and the State House of Assembly before the end of July.
This follows a breakthrough in peace talks between Fubara and his former political ally, Nyesom Wike.
According to several presidential sources who spoke with Punch, the plan for reinstatement came after a closed-door reconciliation meeting held on Thursday night at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Naija News reports that suspended Speaker Martin Amaewhule and several lawmakers from Rivers State also attended the meeting.
President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025. He suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all 32 members of the State Assembly, citing rising insecurity, including pipeline vandalism and militant activities that the state government was accused of neglecting.
The crisis began in October 2023 when a power struggle erupted between Fubara and Wike. This led 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor, resulting in a major breakdown in governance.
Although Fubara’s suspension was scheduled to last until September, presidency insiders said President Tinubu is eager to bring peace to the oil-producing state.
A source close to the talks said, “Fubara is happy with the peace brokered by the President. Given the way things have progressed, Fubara and Wike were recently seen riding together and exchanging pleasantries; the deal for Fubara’s return is sealed.”
The source confirmed that President Tinubu personally told Fubara during the Thursday night meeting to “start preparing to return to office” once Tinubu returns from his official visits to Saint Lucia and Brazil.
There have been rumours that Fubara’s return might be tied to his resignation soon afterward. However, a top presidential official dismissed this claim.
“That’s not true. No such condition was given. In every conflict resolution, there are terms, but asking Fubara to resign after being reinstated was never one of them,” the source said.
Another insider added, “The President made it clear that Rivers cannot afford a prolonged crisis. The deal is about restoring calm, but it comes at a steep cost for Fubara.”
Adding to signs of reconciliation, a former lawmaker and PDP chieftain, Ogbonna Nwuke, revealed that Governor Fubara has directed that all political support groups involved in the conflict be suspended.
Nwuke said, “Yes, he (Fubara) gave a directive that all groups be suspended for now. The reason is that we were one family before, and now that peace has returned, there has to be reintegration. That is what it means. We were all part of the New Rivers Vision
