President Bola Tinubu on Thursday convened a closed-door meeting with key political stakeholders from Rivers State, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, and Speaker of the State House of Assembly Martins Amaewhule, in a renewed effort to resolve the prolonged political crisis in the state.

The high-level meeting, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, is the first public appearance of Governor Fubara with President Tinubu since the president declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18. At the time, Tinubu had suspended the governor, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and the state assembly, citing escalating political tension and the breakdown of governance.

Thursday’s engagement appears to mark a significant step toward reconciliation, with photos released afterward showing the president, governor, and minister smiling and appearing cordial.

Presidency sources confirmed that the dialogue was productive and that the warring factions had agreed to ease hostilities for the sake of stability and governance in the oil-rich state.

The Rivers political crisis, largely driven by a fallout between Governor Fubara and his predecessor Wike, has crippled the state’s legislative and executive harmony in recent months. Thursday’s meeting signals what many hope will be a lasting resolution to the impasse.