President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday held separate closed-door meetings with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru at the State House, Abuja.
The engagements came amid heightened political tension in Rivers State and renewed speculation over Governor Fubara’s future within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fubara arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:01 p.m. and was received by the Presidential Protocol Liaison Officer before being escorted to the President’s office.
He departed at about 5:45 p.m., but details of the meeting remained undisclosed as of press time.
Shortly before his arrival, Governor Nwifuru had been ushered in for a separate audience with the President. The purpose of his visit was also not revealed.
Nwifuru , a former Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly and now an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, has in recent months held several engagements with the Presidency, largely centred on infrastructure development and security coordination in the South-East.
Tinubu’s meeting with Fubara follows Friday’s defection of 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, from the PDP to the APC.
The mass defection has significantly altered power dynamics in the state legislature and heightened uncertainty about Fubara’s political trajectory.
Only three lawmakers believed to be aligned with the governor remain in the PDP, and they have yet to resume their seats since the lifting of the state’s emergency rule on September 18.
The Guardian earlier reported that President Tinubu met with six APC governors in a closed-door session at the State House, Abuja.
The purpose of the meeting was not immediately disclosed, and details of its agenda remained unclear at press time.
In attendance were governors Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Usman Ododo (Kogi,) Aliyu Sokoto (Sokoto) and Dr. Nasir Idris (Kebbi), who arrived at the Presidential Villa separately.
The meeting, held in the President’s office, lasted almost two hours.
Although no Presidency official offered insight into the agenda, the consultations come amid rising security concerns across the country and ongoing political engagements within the ruling party.
The governors declined to speak to journalists after the meeting.
President Tinubu has recently intensified his focus on national security by convening a series of high-level meetings involving key security stakeholders, including the service chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as intelligence coordinators and senior officials from various security agencies.
This increased engagement comes in response to a worrying upsurge in banditry, kidnappings, and violent crimes that have spread across multiple regions, causing widespread public concern and escalating pressure on the federal government for urgent and effective intervention.
