According to the officials, although the two political rivals arrived separately, Fubara rode away with Wike after the President’s intervention. The meeting marks a potential turning point in the Rivers’ political crisis, which has paralysed governance in the oil-rich state for over nearly two years. Tensions flared in October when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara. In December 2023, President Tinubu intervened, facilitating a fragile truce that led to a peace deal in which Fubara conceded several political appointments to Wike’s loyalists. However, the arrangement broke down, and the conflict resurfaced, culminating in President Tinubu declaring a state of emergency on March 18, 2025.

Source: Punch February 10, 2026 15:46 UTC