President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wednesday, lifted the State of Emergency imposed on Rivers state, directing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state House of Assembly to resume duties.

The president had suspended the elected officials in the state for six months as a result of intense political crisis between the governor and the lawmakers.

The president urged Governor Fubara and the lawmakers to letpeace and order drive their actions at all times.

The statement reads: “My Fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State. 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.

“I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security.

“Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.

“As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level. The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.

“I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.

“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.

“I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.”

 …FCT minister Wike lauds Tinubu

In his reaction, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for restoring democracy to Rivers state.

The minister, who said the president has once again demonstrated his total commitment to peace and sustenance of democracy in the country, said his proactive action saved the state from anarchy.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT minister said President Tinubu’s intervention has further restored the confidence of the people of Rivers state in his leadership.

He commended the people of the state for their belief in the President and continuous support to him in his tireless efforts to return the country to the path of progress and development.

The minister, who cautioned troublemakers, especially the fifth columnists who are always seeking to benefit from crisis to stay away from the state, added that, “Going forward, the only news that will emanate from Rivers State will be that of peace, progress and development.”

..Stakeholders vary in opinions 

Meanwhile, stakeholdershave expressed divergent opinions on the lifting of the emergency rule.  

In a chat Tuesday with Blueprint in Port Harcourt, ahead of the governor’s  resumption, a human rights advocate, Barrister Higher King, said Rivers people were eager  to have their elected governor back to his position. 

King called on the governor to hit the ground running, warning him not to probe his predecessor but concentrate on governance in order to move the state forward.  

On how the governor would work with the newly elected council chairmen in the state, he said: “l believe that the council chairmen would work together with him this time around to ensure that the state moved forward.

“The council chairmen will align with the governor and if they don’t align with him, they know what will happen. He is an executive governor; the constitution gives the governor the sweeping powers over the local government chairmen and I don’t even think the House of Assembly would dare him this time around. 

“I don’t think anybody will attempt to dare him, because if you see, everything affected all of them. So, I don’t think any of them would want to do anything. Everybody would have to be on his line. You know in the military, they say everybody will be in his line of duty and have to obey the last command.” 

On his part, the National Chairman Defence for Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD), Mr. Clifford Christopher Solomon, demanded a detailed account of stewardship from the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete lbas (rtd).  

“lt’s also imperative for the Sole Administrator to tell Rivers people projects executed, completed, ongoing and commissioned in the six months of his reign.

“We demand that the SOLAD opens up to Rivers people how much is left in the coffers of the state and banks that could be verified,” Solomon said.

Also speaking, Sunny Dada of the Media Development/ Democratic Governance, urged  Fubara to audit the financial activities of the Ibas administration.

“What exactly did Sole Administrator lbas doing with the Rivers allocations. That’s why our recommendations is when emergency is called off, His Excellency will set up a probe panel”, Dada said.

In a chat with one of our correspondents, the National Vice Chairman South of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, said the people of Rivers state should be the ones to comment or set an agenda for him.

“Where he was voted for as governor based on his electoral promises was Rivers state, so the people that elected him will set a new agenda for him, not me, Orbih,” he said.

But, the National Deputy Youth leader of the party, Mr Timothy Osadolor, charged the governor to  act decisively and show gratitude to  all those who stood by him during the trying period. 

“The six months that President Bola Tinubu purportedly suspended the governor has come and gone. And Nigeria has since moved on. I want to implore Governor Siminalayi Fubara to look deeply and introspectively as he resumes.

“During the darkest moment, during his temptation period, who were those who stood with him, by him and who are for him, so they won’t regret.

“This is time for him to show that he is not fake and should deliver what he promised Rivers people. He should do all within his power to empathise, encourage, and appreciate the Rivers people and those who stood by him in any way legitimately possible.

“Far beyond that, it is abundantly clear that despite his ordeal and quest to liberate Rivers, the people are still with him, believe him and expect more from him having freely given him their mandate.

“His quest to make Rivers great again following the achievement of his predecessor regardless of their politics should be on course,” he said.