Tinubu Steps In, Summons Wike, Fubara Abroad Amid Rivers Crisis

By Tgnews Reporter

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again stepped into the protracted political feud rocking Rivers State, summoning Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike for urgent talks abroad as tensions boil over with renewed impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Credible sources close to the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that the President, currently on an end-of-year break in France before heading to Abu Dhabi for the Sustainability Week Summit, has called Wike to discuss the deepening crisis. The meeting is expected to take place outside Nigeria, possibly in Dubai, barring any last-minute changes.

The intervention comes amid reports that Governor Fubara departed Port Harcourt on Thursday aboard a state government-owned private jet, accompanied by his unofficial Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, reportedly en route to France to brief the President directly on the unfolding situation.

The latest escalation stems from moves by lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly, many of whom are perceived as loyal to Wike, who on Thursday commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.

The process, citing allegations of gross misconduct including extra-budgetary spending and other infractions, marks the third such attempt since Fubara assumed office in 2023.

The Assembly has also barred the governor from presenting the state’s Mid-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2026 budget pending the probe’s conclusion.

A highly placed source emphasized the President’s awareness of the high stakes involved.

“The President sees the danger in what Wike is doing,” the source said, warning that any successful impeachment of Fubara—the first Ijaw governor of Rivers State—could inflame ethnic tensions among Ijaw youths, potentially driving them back to the creeks and disrupting national security and oil production.

The source described Wike’s actions as a direct challenge to presidential authority with serious national consequences, recalling last year’s state of emergency declaration aimed at averting a breakdown of law and order.

However, a senior presidential aide clarified that he was unaware of any confirmed meeting with Wike, though he confirmed the President’s current location in France and upcoming travel to Abu Dhabi. The aide noted that Wike would have no official reason to be in the UAE unless specifically invited.

The crisis has persisted despite previous peace deals brokered by Tinubu, including one in December 2023 and another in June 2025.

Recent disagreements reportedly center on issues like supplementary budgets, party defections, and control over state structures, with Fubara’s shift toward the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his assertion of gubernatorial authority further straining relations.

Observers warn that continued instability in the oil-rich state could have broader economic and security ripple effects. Groups such as the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) have called for restraint and established reconciliation committees, while some APC factions have urged sanctions against Wike for alleged anti-party activities.

As President Tinubu balances vacation diplomacy with urgent domestic interventions, the coming days will test whether high-level talks abroad can once again douse the flames in Rivers—or if the rift between the former political godfather and his successor has reached an irreconcilable point.

The situation remains fluid, with all eyes on developments in France and the potential for a tripartite resolution that could stabilize the state before it spirals further.