Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has confirmed that he has fully resumed his duties and is now working in harmony with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, following his six-month suspension.
Fubara made the declaration on Monday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Governor said his visit was primarily to inform the President of his return and to seek guidance on ensuring peace in Rivers State.
“You’re aware that the suspension was lifted at midnight on the 17th, and I came in on the 19th. Ideally, it’s proper for me to see Mr President and to tell him that I’m back, and I’ve also resumed my responsibility as the governor of Rivers State,” Fubara said.
Describing the meeting as a “father-and-son discussion,” the governor added, “It’s not much. It’s a father-and-son discussion, telling him thank you and seeking his guidance so we don’t find ourselves in any situation that will bring crisis again.”
On the outcome of the meeting, Fubara said, “He advised me on what to do and how to go in the right direction. As far as I’m concerned, we have made peace. Fubara and his principal are working together.”
Fubara arrived at the Villa around 6:20 pm and was dressed in a white caftan with a black cap. This meeting marked his first engagement with the President following the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers on 18 September 2025.
President Tinubu had previously declared a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025, suspending democratic structures and appointing a sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs.
The Rivers governor’s visit also came shortly after the President met separately with other top government officials, including the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Zacch Adedeji, and the Minister of Finance Wale Edun.
Fubara also expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for intervening in the political crisis and acknowledged the efforts of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for supporting the restoration of peace in Rivers State.
