Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, paid a visit to President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos, as the crisis rocking the oil-rich state continues to unfold.
The visit, confirmed by presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga, is the second private meeting between the two since Fubara’s suspension from office on March 18, 2025. Onanuga, in a post on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, wrote: “Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers, now on suspension from office, visited President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Tuesday.”
Although the exact details of the meeting were not made public, the timing and setting have stirred political interest, especially as Rivers State remains under a state of emergency declared by Tinubu earlier this year.
The conflict in the state stems from a prolonged feud between Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The situation escalated to the point where President Tinubu, in a national broadcast, announced a six-month suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire elected Rivers State House of Assembly.
In the same broadcast, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the need to restore order and prevent further breakdown of governance.
This was followed by the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as administrator to take charge of the state’s governance during the emergency rule period.
