President Bola Tinubu has ended the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, restoring Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to office. This decision comes after Tinubu’s March 18 proclamation, which cited a total breakdown of governance due to a bitter rift between the executive and legislative arms.
Governor Fubara is expected to resume work, and his future plans are uncertain, with both the PDP and APC vying for his loyalty.
The PDP has cautioned Fubara against defecting to the APC, while the APC is offering him the party’s leadership position in the state.
Residents are cautiously optimistic, with some calling for celebration and others urging sober reflection on the six-month emergency rule.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hailed Tinubu’s decision, praising his commitment to peace and democracy.
Tinubu declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, citing a constitutional impasse and breakdown of public order.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas served as sole administrator, overseeing the state’s affairs for six months.
Fresh appointments were made, and local government elections were conducted on August 30, 2025.
The move was met with criticism, with over 40 court cases challenging the proclamation.
“I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration.
“The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together. Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised.
“The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor. The latter group supported the Speaker.
“As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs. That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill.
“Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.
“It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. “The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.
“I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State.
“I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.” President Tinubu addressed the People of Rivers State.
