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By Myke Agunwa, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday announced that the six months State of Emergency and suspension of elected authorities in Rivers State will come to an end at midnight.
He also declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and Speaker Martins Amaewhule will return to their offices starting September 18, 2025.
Pointblanknews.com reported that on March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, citing a total collapse of governance, vandalism of critical assets, including oil pipelines, and a fractured House of Assembly divided into two factions. Four members supported the Governor, while 27 supported the Speaker, leading to an inability to pass budgets or access funds, bringing governance to a halt. Even the Supreme Court later declared that “there was no government in Rivers State” he said.
He thereafter appointed Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, ret., as Sole Administrator for the six months.
Expressing his intention to bring the state of emergency to an end, Tinubu expressed happiness that, based on intelligence, there a renewed spirit of understanding among stakeholders for an immediate return to democratic governance, deeming the six-month emergency declaration sufficient.
He stated, “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.
“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.”
He described the proclamation as a painful but necessary step to prevent 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.
The president thanked the National Assembly, which, after evaluating the justification, promptly approved the declaration to maintain peace and order. He also appreciated traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support during this period.
Acknowledging dissenting voices, Tinubu noted, “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”.
He emphasized that a good relationship between the executive and legislature is crucial for effective governance, stating, “The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealized in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.”
Recall that the Rivers State Sole Administrator began winding down his assignment on Sunday with a farewell thanksgiving in Port Harcourt, as part of the transition.
During the interdenominational service, Ibas urged for peace and reconciliation, saying, “The seeds of reconciliation have been planted, but they need your deliberate nurture to take root. Rivers State cannot afford another season of division and acrimony. Politics must never be an excuse to destroy the very state we are called to serve.” The gathering mainly included civil servants, local government chairmen, heads of agencies, and security officials.