Tinubu ends Rivers emergency rule, urges leaders to embrace peace
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially declared the end of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, reinstating Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to their respective offices.
The announcement was made in a national broadcast on Wednesday from the State House, Abuja, with the President confirming that the emergency rule would lapse at midnight.
“It 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 said.
The President had on March 18, 2025, invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to impose the emergency following what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in Rivers State.
The move followed months of political turmoil that saw Governor Fubara locked in a bitter conflict with a majority of the state legislature. At the height of the crisis, 27 lawmakers opposed the governor while only four backed him, paralysing legislative activities and stalling budget approvals.
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The standoff spiralled into security challenges, with vandalised oil pipelines, street protests in Port Harcourt, and a Supreme Court ruling that described the state as having “no functional government.”
Repeated peace efforts by the presidency, traditional rulers, and elder statesmen failed, prompting Tinubu to suspend the governor, deputy governor, and Assembly for six months.
Defending his decision, the President insisted the proclamation was a constitutional necessity to prevent a descent into chaos. “It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.
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,” he explained.
While acknowledging over 40 legal challenges to the proclamation, Tinubu maintained that extraordinary action was required to protect lives, property, and governance. He said security and political intelligence indicated Rivers was now ready for a democratic reset.
READ ALSO: Fubara returns to office in three weeks — Wike
“There is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance,” the President said, describing it as a “remarkable achievement.”
He also urged political leaders nationwide to prioritise citizens’ welfare above self-interest, warning against disruptive, divisive politics. “The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy.
That expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism,” Tinubu cautioned.
With the emergency lifted, Rivers State will fully return to democratic governance from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Governor Fubara and the House of Assembly are now expected to address the delayed budget and work towards healing political divisions in the state.
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