President Bola Tinubu reportedly met with suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in London during his recent journey to France and London.

The meeting, confirmed by The Africa Report, was held at the insistence of Governor Fubara, on the possible resolution of the crisis in Rivers.

Details of the meeting could not be confirmed presidential aides contacted, according to Punch, said they were not part of the President’s latest trip.

However, officials confirmed that it was the first face-to-face meeting since Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution on March 18, declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State and removing Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, from office.

Tinubu, who had been in Paris and then London since 2 April, agreed to meet with Fubara in an effort to defuse the ongoing crisis, according to the officials who confirmed that the duo discussed restoring a functional government in the oil-rich state.

Although neither side disclosed specific details, presidential aides who spoke on condition of anonymity said the talks focused on the possibility of Fubara returning to office before the end of his six-month suspension.

The President returned to Abuja on Monday night after spending 18 days abroad.

It was learnt that Fubara’s estranged political godfather, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was not part of the meeting and was reportedly uneasy about such discussions taking place without him.

However, Tinubu is expected to meet with Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to chart a lasting resolution to the political crisis in the state.