The political climate in the Federal Republic of Nigeria took a new turn on Monday as the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, arrived at the Presidential Villa in Abuja for an unscheduled closed door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Okay News reports that the governor was seen at exactly 5:01 p.m. walking through the Presidential Villa corridor leading to the President’s main office. He was dressed in a deep blue long sleeve shirt, black trousers, and a black flat cap, creating immediate speculation of an urgent engagement with the nation’s leader.
The visit comes at a moment of heightened tension in Rivers State and across the broader Niger Delta region, following renewed political divisions within the Rivers State House of Assembly. Minutes before Fubara’s arrival, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress and a former Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, had also entered the State House for a separate high level appointment.
Although the Federal Government has not disclosed the agenda of either meeting, both visits are generating significant attention due to recent political realignments that have shaken the balance of power in the oil rich state.
In Rivers State, the atmosphere has grown increasingly tense since seventeen lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. The announcement, led by the factional Speaker Martin Amaewhule, instantly shifted legislative control and intensified speculations regarding the political future of Governor Fubara.
The only three lawmakers still aligned with the governor have not resumed sitting since the six month emergency rule in Rivers State was lifted on September 18. Their absence continues to deepen concerns among political observers regarding the stability of the governor’s administration.
Governor Fubara had previously been reinstated after the emergency rule, which was imposed nationwide by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, was brought to an end. His reinstatement initially eased tensions, but recent developments have sparked fresh uncertainty across the state.
Governor Francis Nwifuru’s presence in the Presidential Villa further adds national interest, as he has held several engagements with the Presidency in recent months on issues concerning regional security coordination and infrastructural development in the South East of Nigeria.
Observers across Nigeria and the international community are watching closely, as the outcome of these meetings may shape political alliances and governance structures in one of the country’s most economically strategic states.
