Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has taken a major step toward reconciliation with aggrieved lawmakers in the state, including the suspended Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.
Sources confirmed that Fubara met with Amaewhule and other lawmakers on Thursday in Abuja, marking the first direct engagement between the warring factions since the political crisis escalated earlier this year.
The closed-door meeting, described as cordial and productive, reportedly ended with Fubara and Amaewhule seen sharing jokes and holding hands—an unexpected display of camaraderie that signaled a thaw in relations.
“This is the beginning of real engagement,” a source familiar with the meeting told Daily Post, noting that a larger peace dialogue is being planned to finalise terms of reconciliation.
Fubara’s renewed outreach follows months of tension that culminated in his suspension from office on March 19, after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. The National Assembly swiftly ratified the decision, citing the need to restore law and order amid the deepening political feud.
To stabilize the state, Tinubu appointed former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as interim administrator for a six-month period.
While Fubara had earlier engaged both President Tinubu and his estranged political mentor, Nyesom Wike, Thursday’s meeting with the Assembly members is widely seen as the most significant step yet toward a sustainable peace process.
Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has repeatedly insisted that reconciliation must include direct engagement with the House of Assembly, whose members accuse Fubara of withholding their salaries and allowances for over two years.
As Rivers State inches toward stability, stakeholders are watching closely to see if this symbolic reunion between Fubara and Amaewhule can translate into lasting political peace.