In the course of the visit, the President held a closed-door meeting with Fubara, marking the first publicly known meeting between the two since Fubara’s suspension in March, 2025.
Sources said the ‘crucial’ meeting may not be unconnected with resolving the political crisis in Rivers state ahead of the expiration of the six-month emergency rule in September, 2025.
Photographs released by the State House Media Unit showed the President and Fubara smiling for the cameras although details of their discussion were yet to be disclosed.
President Tinubu had on March 18, 2025 declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State suspending Fubara, the deputy governor, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state assembly.
The move followed escalating political and economic tensions in the oil-rich state.
The suspension was met with stiff opposition and criticism from Fubara’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party and civil society groups, who argue that the President’s unilateral action undermines democratic governance.
Also on Tuesday, President Tinubu received an audience at his Lagos private residence billionaire founder of Bill Gates Foundation and Co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates.
During the visit, President Tinubu conferred the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Gates who was accompanied by Africa’s richest man and Nigeria’s billionaire business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The President thereafter decorated Gates with the national award as well as presenting him with the award certificate.
Deji Elumoye
