President Bola Tinubu has announced the end of the
six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, restoring Governor Siminalayi
Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, Speaker Martins Amaewhule, and other
members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to office.
In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday,
Tinubu said fresh intelligence indicated a “new spirit of understanding, a
robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm” among stakeholders for a return to
democratic governance.
“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,” Tinubu said. “The emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from
midnight today.”
Why the Emergency Was Declared
The President recalled that the drastic step was taken
in March after Rivers descended into a “total paralysis of governance,” with
the governor and the state legislature locked in bitter conflict.
The crisis, rooted in a power struggle between
Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike—now Minister of the FCT—split
the House of Assembly into rival factions and left the state unable to pass
budgets. Tinubu said even the Supreme Court concluded that “there was no
government in Rivers State.”
Economic sabotage worsened the situation, with
vandalism of vital oil pipelines threatening national revenue. Tinubu invoked
Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to declare the emergency and appointed
retired naval chief Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator.
Criticisms and Legal Challenges
The proclamation drew criticism and triggered over 40
court cases across Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa. Tinubu acknowledged the
dissent but insisted the measure was necessary.
“It would have been a colossal failure on my part as
President not to have made that proclamation,” he said, stressing that the tool
exists to prevent breakdowns of order and safety.
Path to Reconciliation
Signs of reconciliation emerged in June when Tinubu
convened a meeting between Fubara, Wike, Speaker Amaewhule, and other
lawmakers. The two estranged political leaders were later seen together at
public events, fueling optimism for peace.
Looking Ahead
Tinubu praised the National Assembly for swiftly
endorsing his emergency proclamation and thanked Rivers’ traditional rulers and
residents for their patience. He urged both the executive and legislature in
Rivers to prioritize harmony, warning that “democratic dividends cannot thrive
in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity.”
The reinstatement of elected leaders takes effect from
September 18, 2025, marking the official end of military-style
administration in the oil-rich state.
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