Suspended Rivers Governor Fubara Meets Lawmakers in First Major Reconciliation Effort

Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has held his first reconciliation meeting with the suspended Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and other aggrieved lawmakers.

Multiple sources confirmed on Thursday evening that the closed-door meeting, held in Abuja, ended on a positive note, with Fubara and Amaewhule seen sharing jokes and laughter while holding hands — a gesture interpreted as a sign of goodwill.

According to insiders, the meeting marks the first genuine step towards bridging the divide between the governor and the state legislators.

“The suspended Governor is determined to make peace. He has started the real engagement,” a source told The Nation in confidence, adding that a larger peace meeting is planned to iron out the full terms of reconciliation.

Governor Fubara was suspended from office on March 19 after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State to curb the worsening political crisis. The National Assembly subsequently approved the suspension, and former Naval Chief Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas was appointed as interim administrator for an initial six-month period.

Before this latest meeting, Fubara had met with President Tinubu and his estranged political ally, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. However, Thursday’s engagement with the lawmakers is seen as the most significant breakthrough so far. Wike had consistently maintained that true reconciliation hinged on Fubara directly engaging stakeholders he allegedly sidelined — especially the House members whose salaries and allowances were reportedly withheld for over two years.

A larger stakeholders’ dialogue is expected in the coming weeks as parties seek to end the protracted crisis and restore political stability in Rivers State.