Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, made a quiet but symbolically charged return to Port Harcourt on Friday evening after nearly two weeks abroad — a period marked by intense speculation and diplomatic undercurrents.
Fubara touched down at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, around 7:00 p.m., according to eyewitness footage now circulating widely on social media. Dressed in a casual outfit and visibly composed, the embattled governor was received by a handful of close aides before being ushered into a waiting SUV that whisked him away in a swift, tightly coordinated exit.
His return follows reports of a clandestine meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London, which sources say was aimed at defusing the political time bomb ticking in Rivers State. According to an exclusive by The Africa Report, the two leaders met in the British capital to explore a roadmap for peace following months of political turbulence.
A presidential aide, who confirmed the London rendezvous, revealed that the meeting was part of a broader peace initiative spearheaded by President Tinubu to “halt the descent into anarchy” in the volatile oil-rich state. “The President is deeply concerned about the implications of the crisis in Rivers for national stability, particularly its impact on crude oil production and security,” the source said.
Fubara’s foreign trip coincided with high-level interventions and behind-the-scenes diplomacy after Tinubu’s controversial declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State in April. That unprecedented move led to the suspension of Fubara, Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly — an act that shocked many and further polarized the political landscape.
The federal government had cited rampant sabotage of oil pipelines, rising insecurity, and a deepening rift between Fubara and 27 lawmakers as justification for the suspension and emergency declaration. Fingers were also pointed at FCT Minister Nyesom Wike — Fubara’s political godfather turned rival — for allegedly fueling the instability.
As Governor Fubara resurfaces from what is now believed to be a politically strategic trip, analysts say his next moves could determine whether Rivers State steps back from the brink or plunges deeper into chaos. For now, the state holds its breath.
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