President Bola Tinubu hosted another reconciliation meeting on Thursday, 26 June, between the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Speaker of the suspended Rivers House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and other assembly members attended the closed-door meeting to end the protracted political crisis in the oil-rich state.
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President Tinubu declared an emergency rule in Rivers on 18 March and suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all the Rivers assembly members for six months after his previous efforts to broker peace between Messrs Fubara and Wike.
He appointed Mr Ibok-ette Ibas, a retired vice admiral, as the sole administrator for the state.
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Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Mr Wike, have been locked in a protracted battle to control the political structures in Rivers.
The political crisis split the state’s legislature into two factions, with 27 lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike and three to Mr Fubara.
The governor recognised the three-member faction, saying the others “lost” their seats in the assembly after “defecting” from the PDP to the APC.
READ ALSO: Rivers administrator speaks on Fubara returning to Government House
However, a Supreme Court judgement tipped the balance of power in favour of Mr Wike and his allies.
The court reinstated the pro-Wike faction as the legitimate Rivers assembly, stopped federal allocations to the state, and nullified the local elections earlier conducted by Mr Fubara’s administration.
Shortly before Mr Tinubu declared the emergency rule, the Rivers assembly, strengthened by the Supreme Court judgement, had begun another impeachment proceeding against Mr Fubara.
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