Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Monday paid a surprise visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja — his first official trip to the State House since the lifting of emergency rule in the oil-rich state.
Fubara arrived the Villa at exactly 6:20 p.m. and was seen heading toward the President’s office. The visit comes just five days after President Tinubu formally ended the six-month emergency rule imposed on Rivers State following a prolonged political crisis.
Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended from office on March 18, 2025, after escalating tensions and political unrest threatened governance and public safety in the state. In response, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, citing the need to stabilize the region.
The emergency rule was lifted on September 17, 2025, following what the presidency described as “significant progress in restoring constitutional order and public confidence.”
In a statewide broadcast last week, Governor Fubara publicly thanked President Tinubu for intervening in the crisis, calling him “a father of the nation” and pledging his loyalty to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I remain eternally grateful to Mr. President for his timely and fatherly intervention during the most challenging period of our administration,” Fubara said.
As of the time of filing this report, the specific reason for the Governor’s visit to the Presidential Villa had not been disclosed. However, insiders suggest it may be connected to post-crisis reconciliation talks, state security briefings, and discussions around governance continuity in Rivers State.
