Jubilation in Rivers as Tinubu Ends Emergency Rule, Restores Fubara, Deputy, House Members
Jubilation in Rivers as Tinubu Ends Emergency Rule, Restores Fubara, Deputy, House Members
•President justifies six-month undemocratic governance in oil-rich state
•Wike hails Tinubu, Rivers elders, others preach peace
•Tonye Cole: Governor will have zero powers on resumption
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
It was jubilation on the streets of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, yesterday as residents and indigenes were thrown into celebration following the announcement of the end of emergency rule in the state by President Bola Tinubu, who directed suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of Rivers State House of Assembly to return to their desks effective today.
Tinubu had imposed a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State on March 18, 2025 and had suspended Fubara, his deputy, and members of Rivers State House of Assembly.
Some residents that spoke with THISDAY, expressed joy that the State has been returned to democratic rule despite not knowing what the future holds for the Fubara-led government.
This comes as FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike hailed Tinubu for restoring democratic governance to Rivers State, saying the move by the President once more demonstrated his commitment to peace and sustenance of democracy in the country.
Equally, the Rivers State Elders’ Council beckoned on the elected leaders, including the Rivers people to sustain the ongoing peace in the State.
Also, former Governorship candidate in the last general election in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, yesterday, said Fubara would have “zero” powers when he resumes.
President Tinubu in a statement entitled “Cessation of the State of Emergency in Rivers State,” declared that he decided not to renew the emergency rule based on favourable intelligence report about the State at his disposal.
Tinubu, said he was happy to lift the emergency rule, adding that from intelligence available to him, there has been 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.
The President explained: “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”.
Tinubu also reminded both the executive and legislative arms in the states of the need to work in harmony for the progress of the 36 states of the federation.
“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.”
The President, while justifying the emergency rule said it became “painfully inevitable” after a constitutional crisis paralysed governance in the state.
According to him, disputes between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly had left critical economic assets vulnerable and halted budget approvals.
He added: “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.”
Furthermore, the President pointed out that he was “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 unrealisable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.”
The President in the statement stated, inter alia:
“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.”
Wike Hails Tinubu
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike has hailed President Bola Tinubu for restoring democratic governance to Rivers State through the lifting of the emergency rule imposed on the State.
He said the move by the President had once more demonstrated his total commitment to peace and sustenance of democracy in the country.
In a statement yesterday, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister, noted that the President’s proactive action had once again saved the state, adding his intervention had 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 for him in his tireless efforts to return the country to the path of progress and development.
Wike urged all stakeholders in Rivers State to work together harmoniously in the collective interest of the state and its people.
He also cautioned troublemakers, especially fifth columnists who were always seeking to benefit from the crisis to stay away from the State.
Wike said: “From Rivers State going forward, the only news that will emanate will be that of peace, progress and development.”
Rivers Elders Preach Peace
Meanwhile, Rivers Elders in a statement signed by its chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, said as the State has been restored to democratic governance, everyone must to reflect on a number of issues.
Alabraba advised that everyone should “avoid the reoccurrence of the unfortunate circumstances we found ourselves in and significantly, how to sustain peace, unity and development in our beloved Rivers State”.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace the peace and reconciliation that has returned to the state, saying, “We also quickly wish to admonish the few individuals and groups who are still fanning the embers of discord to come to terms with the fact that the crisis is over and stop making inflammatory statements, inciting rhetoric in the media and whipping up sentiments for their selfish interests.”
The elders said people should prioritise the interest of the State and allow Fubara and the House of Assembly to work together without further distractions.
They commended the Governor and the leadership of the House of Assembly for making peace.
“At this point, we can only remind them that they did not only agree on peace in Abuja but also, on their own, went to the Villa and affirmed their reconciliation before His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement added.
They added that both the executive and legislative must work harmoniously in the interest of the state and applauded Rivers people for their patience and understanding throughout the period of the emergency rule.
To the President, they commended him “for bringing Rivers State back from the brink and taking actions to ensure the peace that we now enjoy in the State”.
Reacting also, the National Leader of South-South Chief and Elders, High Chief Omubo Harry, said Rivers people are excited to see their governor reinstated.
The elder statesman decried that the state had suffered a lot, especially during the period of emergency rule.
He however, called on all indigenes and residents to come together and work for the progress and development of the state, eschewing tendencies capable of truncating the fragile peace.
On his part, a former Special Adviser to the former Governor, Nyesom Wike, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah, said: “Rivers State and the people are marinated in joy eagerly awaiting the return of governor Fubara.
Inko-Tariah, a civil rights advocate, noted the governor’s policies, projects and programmes are people-centric, having been seared in the flame of emergency rule.
He said: “Rivers people cannot wait for the rebirth of spring with resumption of Governor Fubara having walked through the metallic hell of road of dictatorship.
“It has been six months of painful laughter and retrogression and we cannot wait for our governor, who will hew out of this mountain of despair, a stone of hope for the state!”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Eze Chukwuemeka, said: “Let me state further that the coming back of Fubara come 18th September depends on which of the Fubara is coming back.
“Is the Fubara stripped of all his powers as a Governor or is it the Fubara that is coming to reclaim his powers as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State?
“Assuming that the Fubara that will come in by this midnight is the Fubara that is stripped off his powers to govern the State accordingly as an executive Governor, who will be handed over the lost of his commissioners, aides and how to run the State by approving contracts he will execute, then the State and her people will not be expecting much from him as that will be the third term of Nyesom Wike as the governor of Rivers State where looting and misgovernance will be the order of the day
“But, if the Fubara that will be coming in is the Fubara who knows that he is the duly elected Governor of Rivers State and have the power of governance, then, the people of Rivers State can rejoice of further progress of the State.”
Also reacting to the development, the President of the pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Prof Godknows Igali said the six months was the darkest part of Rivers state political history, adding that “it is a time for sober-reflection”.
Igali said there was nothing to celebrate about the return of Governor Fubara and other democratic institutions in the state, noting that “we all learn from the dark six months of emergency rule. There is nothing to celebrate.
“For six months an administrator was appointed who behaved like a military man. My advice to the governor is that he should settle down and do his job. The people of Rivers state have lost a lot in this past six months, so there is so much for him to do”.
The President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof Benjamin Okaba also speaking, called on the indigenes of the state as well as residents to roll out drums and celebrate the return of governor Fubara to government house.
Okaba said though he was not expecting the federal government to celebrate the governor’s return the same way he was celebrated during his suspension by those who wanted him demoted, there is a need to celebrate his return.
“I was not expecting Fubara’s return to be with pomp and pageantry the same way they demoted him. If they had their way, they would have even extended the suspension to 2027. That was their initial plan. But because of sustained pressure by Nigerians, they could not.
“Rivers people should rejoice that their governor is back. Both the indigenes and the residents should roll out drums and celebrate. The governor is back to correct whatever went wrong in his absent in terms of projects delivery, the sanitation of the city and many more.”
Tonye Cole: Fubara Will Have ‘Zero’ Powers on Resumption
A chieftain of the APC and the former Governorship candidate in the last general election in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has said Siminalayi Fubara will have ‘zero’ powers when he resumes.
Cole, who spoke on Channels Television yesterday, said Fubara would find himself in a difficult situation and would not be able to make any decision as a governor without interference.
Cole, a 2023 governorship candidate of the APC, lamented that Rivers, a critical state in Nigeria, has a Governor who would not be able to exercise his full authority as an elected leader.
He said, “We cannot be in a situation where we have an elected governor of a State, like Rivers State, which is a very critical state not just for the people of Rivers, but Nigeria as a whole, and what you then see is that you have an elected Governor that has zero powers. I don’t think it portends well at all.
“I think the Governor will be finding himself in a very difficult situation. First of all, the way politics has played out in Nigeria, almost every situation is that a Governor, in leaving office, looks for somebody who he believes can continue whatever agenda they had moving forward.
“But time and time again, we find out that where the new Governor or whoever has come in as Governor is left alone to run his administration, then things progress.”
Speaking further, the entrepreneur said: “However, when such doesn’t happen, we have ended up in this whole godfather-godson fight, and it’s never been good for democracy.
“Everywhere that fight has occurred, the people have tended to suffer a lot more. My prayer is that as we come back, because we don’t know what we’re going to see starting from tomorrow, the one thing that we are sure about is that the governor is not in a position to make any decisions.”
Cole, however, advised Fubara to find a way to reach an agreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to allow him (Fubara) to take certain decisions as an elected governor.
“What I would do if I were him would be to now sit down with the honourable minister and appeal for some leeway to allow certain decisions to be taken by me as governor, and others to be taken by him, whatever peace agreement they had.
“The truth is that we do not know the details of that peace agreement, so I cannot tell the extent or the limits of the powers that he has now.”
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•President justifies six-month undemocratic governance in oil-rich state •Wike hails Tinubu, Rivers elders, others preach peace •Tonye Cole: Governor will have zero powers on resumption Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Olawale
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