Fubara Makes Peace With Wike After Parley With Tinubu

.Laments underuse of Rivers’ seaports

.As National Assembly caucus hails Tinubu, calls for harmony

By Ngozi Ogbu


President Bola Tinubu yesterday held a closed-door meeting with Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fubara, clad in a white caftan and black cap, arrived at the Villa around 6:22 p.m. for what was his first official audience with the President since the suspension of emergency rule in Rivers on September 18, 2025.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, the governor said his visit was primarily to express gratitude to the President and formally notify him of his resumption of duties.

“You are aware that the suspension was lifted on September 17, and I came in on September 19. Ideally, it was proper for me to see the President to inform him that I am back and have resumed my responsibilities as Governor of Rivers,” he explained.

Fubara described the meeting as a “father-son discussion,” adding that Tinubu offered him guidance on governance and conflict management.

On his relationship with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the governor stressed that there was no rift, insisting: “As far as I am concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together.”

Tinubu had, in a national broadcast on March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspended democratic structures, and appointed a sole administrator to oversee its affairs for six months.

Although details of Fubara’s meeting with the President were not disclosed, it came shortly after Tinubu met with several top officials, including NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq; PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma; Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Finance Minister Wale Edun; and FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji.

Meanwhile, the Rivers caucus in the National Assembly commended President Tinubu for lifting the emergency rule and urged Fubara and members of the House of Assembly to work together for the stability and growth of the state.

In a joint statement signed by Senator Bari Mpigi, Dum Dekor, Kingsley Chinda, and Caucus Secretary Cyril Hart, the lawmakers appealed to Rivers’ leaders and citizens to support both the governor and the Assembly in fostering unity.

Separately, while receiving a delegation from the Board and Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara decried the poor utilisation of the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports.

“We are blessed with the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports, but the truth is, they are underutilised. Imagine if Onne Port was working at full capacity, the level of activities around Eleme, Tai, and the surrounding areas would transform the entire state’s economy,” he said.

The governor emphasised that maximising the state’s seaport capacity would attract industries, reduce logistics costs, and create jobs, adding that ports remain critical to national development.

NPA Chairman, Adeyeye Clement, who led the delegation, described Nigeria’s maritime assets as vital to economic growth. He pledged the board’s commitment to improving operations at the Rivers ports but solicited the state government’s assistance in rehabilitating access roads, curbing illegal truck parking, enhancing cleanliness, and boosting security.