Reliable sources with close access to the presidency have revealed that the President has called the FCT Minister for an urgent, high-level conversation to address the persistent Rivers crisis. According to these insiders, the critical meeting has been deliberately scheduled to take place outside Nigeria.
At the same time, fresh information indicates that Governor Fubara quietly left the country on Thursday via private jet, with reliable indications pointing to France as his destination, where he is expected to hold direct talks with President Tinubu, who is currently abroad.
Commenting on the latest impeachment effort, the source confirmed that the President had intervened in the matter.
“The President must see the danger in what Wike is doing, though I am aware that he has summoned him to a meeting in Dubai. You know the President is currently out of the country. Barring any last-minute change, they are expected to meet abroad. Wike cannot impeach Fubara; the President will call him to order,” he said.
The source described the FCT minister’s action as an affront to the President.
He maintained that if care was not taken, the move could push Ijaw youths back to the creeks.
“What is happening is outright disrespect to the President by Wike, and it is against national interest. One of the reasons a state of emergency was declared in Rivers in March last year was the fear of a breakdown of law and order and the attendant consequences for oil production.
“If you say you want to sack the first Ijaw man to be governor, are you not sending the Ijaw people back to the creeks? That will have attendant effects on the economy, and the President will not allow that to happen.”
A senior aide to the President said he was not aware of the meeting with Wike, adding that the President was currently in France from where he would proceed to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The source noted that the FCT minister had no business in the UAE and only an appointment with Tinubu would make him travel there.
“Only Wike or his aides can say if there is any scheduled meeting between him and the President,” the source said.
“When Fubara was moving to the APC, he met with the President, who approved his decision. The President also confirms that governors are the leaders of the party in their states,” the official added.
A senior administrative official at the APC national secretariat said discussions were ongoing on how national leaders of the party would also meet Tinubu upon his arrival in the country.
As the crisis deepens, attention is now focused on President Tinubu’s expected engagements with key political actors upon his return to the country, with party leaders and stakeholders keenly watching how the Presidency will resolve the Rivers impasse amid rising political tensions and concerns over stability in the oil-producing state.
