President Bola Tinubu is currently in a closed-door meeting with some major stakeholders from Rivers State led by the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which may not be unconnected with the political crisis which has polarized the state over the past few weeks, has other stakeholders which include a former Governor of the oil-rich state, Peter Odili, and some traditional rulers from the state.
According to reports, the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is a major player in the crisis, is also expected to be present for the meeting as he was seen at the State House, Abuja, earlier.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, are also reported to be part of the meeting.
What you should know
- The political crisis currently rocking Rivers State in the past couple of weeks appear to have taken a whole new dimension with the feud between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike splitting lawmakers at the Rivers State House of Assembly into 2 factions. 27 members of the House of Assembly are reported to be supporting Wike, while 4 of them are with the Governor.
- The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.
- The political crisis in Rivers State also snowballed into the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex, which was earlier burnt, by the State Government led by Governor Fubara, even as security personnel have reportedly barricaded the entrance Assembly.
- The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.
- Meanwhile, the Federal Government had earlier distanced itself from the political crisis in Rivers State, saying that though Wike, who is one of the major actors in the crisis is part of the Federal cabinet, it never had any hand in creating the problem.
