Fubara meeting wit Tinubu na sign say peace don dey near for Rivers politics?

BBC News

2 days ago

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu meeting wit suspended Governor of Rivers State for im Lagos residence dey fuel speculations say di State of emergency declared for Rivers State and suspension of di fit dey lifted soon?
Dis meeting wey hold bypass di Minister of di Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for di political tok-tok, wey dey fuel speculations wey dey make many pipo dey feel say di suspended governor fit dey reinstated soon.
Di meeting, wey hold behind closed doors for di President private Bourdillon residence for Ikoyi, Lagos, mark di second known meeting between Tinubu and Fubara in recent times.
Di first meeting na a four-hour meeting wey happun for London. E hold while di President bin dey recover from medical treatment in Germany.
One tin wey dey noticeable from both meetings na di absence of Nyesom Wike, di political godfather and critic of Fubara, wey don also admit say e bin no dey aware of di President plan to declare a state of emergency for di State wey happen on 28 March 2025, more than two months ago.
Wike later confam for one media chat say e no bin dey consulted bifor di suspension of democratic institutions in Rivers State.
Di imposition of emergency rule for Rivers State, wey President Tinubu announce after prolonged political unrest, lead to suspension of all elected institutions and di appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd) as sole administrator—a move wey don draw sharp criticisms from civil society groups, legal scholars, and opposition politicians.
'Handshake no mean anytin until di State of emergency dey lifted' - Ann Kio Briggs'
One of such pesins wey don criticise dis imposition of di State of emergency and a elder for Rivers State na Ann Kio Briggs, a notable Niger Delta rights activist.
She tell BBC Pidgin say a handshake between Governor Fubara and President fit mean a lot of tins but until di State of emergency dey lifted and democratic rules reinstated for di State, e no make sense.
Ann Kio Briggs say di State of emergency for Rivers still no dey acceptable and wen she see di picture of di handshake between Fubara and Tinubu, e still no remove di reality of di impact of di state of emergency on di State and di pipo.
"No be about a handshake wit di President but na about weda di President understand wetin dey go on for Rivers State.
Na about di President listening to di pipo of Rivers State and more critically, na about wetin Governor Siminialayi Fubara dey prepared to do for di pipo of Rivers State and to realise say just becos pesin dey prepared to do somtin no mean say dat na di best tin for di pipo, if di pipo no agree wit am.
Foto dem wey di presidency release afta di meeting show Tinubu and Fubara dey smile, a gesture wey many pipo feel say fit signal say negotiations dey progress behind di scenes.
'Na good sign for Rivers State' - Henry Ekine
For Henry Ekine wey be lawyer and di National legal adviser, Committee for Human Rights, say di handshake between Fubara and Tinubu na good signal as govnor Fubara wey still be di elected govnor of Rivers State get right to visit and interact with di President.
E tell BBC Pidgin say e dey okay to speculate say such visit fit give an indication of a possible truce and lifting of di suspension on di Governor.
Ekine say Section 305 of di Constitution wey President Tinubu rely on to declare di State of emergency na to di effect say di State of emergency fit dey lifted at any time, even a day after di proclamation. So e no mean say e must complete di six months wey bin dey declared bifor di emergency fit dey lifted.
"E dey possible say about three months into di State of emergency di President fit exercise dat discretion or power again to even lift di State of emergency, but e dey important to note say di President fit lift a part of dat State of emergency e declare.
"Di possibility dey say di President fit lift di suspension of di Governor of Rivers State and di House of Assembly while di State of emergency go continue until di six months end.
"I bin don tok bifor say di State of emergency fit dey declared without suspending di governor or di House of Assembly. So e mean say di governor fit dey called back to office and di State of emergency continue for di remaining three months.
"Seeing di President and di govnor of Rivers State in dat very cordial posture for di picture na clear indication say peace fit dey very close, especially as di Governor sef don tok say discussions dey go on. Dat na di best for Rivers State." E tok.
Any end in sight?
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Ibas Rtd still dey kontinu to act as usual, wey dey raise concerns say di emergency rule fit dey extended or institutionalized.
On Tuesday, e announce di appointment of 11 new permanent secretaries for Rivers State, wey e swear in on wednesday and dis action dey further deepen fears say di interim arrangement fit become permanent.
Despite public silence from both di presidency and di governor media teams regarding di meetings, political observers note say di timing, wey dey come just few days to Democracy Day, dey suggest a calculated effort to restore normalcy while managing di internal gbege within di PDP and di broader political implications for 2027.
Wetin Wike don tok so far?
For media chat on Monday, Wike say e no get any personal grudge against Fubara but insist say di govnor go align imself wit individuals e describe as "enemies of di State," wey include former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, former Transportation Minister Dr. Abiye Sekibo, and former lawmakers Austin Opara, Lee Maeba, and Celestine Omehia—eey hin be former allies but now don turn rival.
Wike tok and contradictions don further shake di political waters for Rivers becos as e dey call for loyalty to President Tinubu leadership, e also dey lament say e dey sidelined from critical decisions regarding im home state.
Wetin Governor Fubara don tok so far?
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara dey mainly silent since all dis tins dey happun.
Wen e handover of state affairs to di sole administrator, Fubara urge im supporters to remain calm and avoid divisive actions.
During Late Pa Edwin Clark night of tributes, e lambast some of di pipo wey dey protest about di State of emergency and criticise to dey careful with wetin dem dey tok and to ask am weda eem don check with am to see if e gree with dem?
E say im spirit don comot for Goment House but e still dey committed to di peace process and to work in di best interest of di State but say e for good if pipo no use dia actions and toks to spoil di peace process Wey dey ongoing.
For im Democracy Day massage on 29 May, e praise Tinubu for intervening in di political crisis and tell di pipo of di State to keep hope alive.
As June 12 dey approach, all eyes dey on di presidency to see weda President Tinubu go lift di emergency rule and restore democratic governance in Rivers - or e go kontinu to play di long game for di political gameboard?
Na wetim di pipo dey wait to see.