President Bola Tinubu on Sunday night stepped in to broker a truce in the protracted Rivers State political crisis, as Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, exited the Presidential Villa together after a closed-door meeting.

Presidency sources confirmed to our correspondent that although the two long-time political rivals arrived separately at the Villa, they departed in the same vehicle following the President’s intervention, an act widely seen as a symbolic signal of reconciliation.

“Fubara came first, Wike arrived later. But at the end of the meeting, they both left together in the same car. That alone tells you something significant happened,” one source said.

Another official, who confirmed the meeting, added: “Yes, the President met them last night. He spoke to both of them. They have settled, but I can’t disclose the details of what was discussed.”

The Nation had earlier reported the meeting, noting that Fubara later accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja.

The development may mark a major turning point in the Rivers political crisis, which has crippled governance in the oil-rich state for nearly two years.

The rift between Wike and his former political ally and successor, Fubara, erupted shortly after the governor assumed office in May 2023. Tensions escalated in October of that year when lawmakers loyal to Wike in the Rivers State House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor.

In response, Fubara ordered the demolition of the Assembly complex following a controversial fire incident and relocated legislative sittings to a temporary venue. The standoff soon degenerated into a full-blown governance crisis.

President Tinubu first intervened in December 2023, brokering a fragile peace deal that saw Fubara concede key political appointments to Wike’s camp. The truce, however, collapsed months later, with hostilities resurfacing.

On March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor’s executive powers for an initial six months due to escalating insecurity and administrative paralysis. He subsequently appointed a sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff.

The emergency rule was lifted in September 2025 following another presidential intervention. Yet tensions persisted, as the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly renewed its confrontation with the governor, including issuing fresh impeachment notices.

Sunday night’s meeting at the Villa now raises fresh hopes that Tinubu’s renewed peace effort may finally bring an end to the lingering political turmoil in Rivers State.