Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has returned to Port Harcourt after spending nearly two weeks abroad on vacation.
Fubara arrived at the international wing of Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa around 7 p.m. on Friday.
His return was captured in a viral video that showed him being received by aides before being swiftly ushered into a waiting SUV that sped away from the airport.
The governor’s low-profile return comes amid mounting speculation over a reported secret meeting between Fubara and President Bola Tinubu in London during his time abroad.
According to a report by The Africa Report, the two leaders met privately to discuss the political crisis in Rivers State and strategize on how to restore peace to the region.
A senior presidential aide, who confirmed the meeting, said, “The meeting was part of the efforts by the President to find a lasting solution to the ongoing political crisis in that region.”
Rivers State has been embroiled in political turmoil since March, when President Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly following the declaration of a state of emergency.
The President cited rising insecurity, including attacks on oil pipelines by militant groups, as well as a power struggle between Fubara and 27 lawmakers, as the rationale behind the decision.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was also named as a key figure in the ongoing conflict, though his current role in any peace negotiations remains unclear.
Fubara’s return may signal a new chapter in the efforts to resolve the crisis, especially if the London meeting yields meaningful reconciliation among the warring factions.
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