President Bola Tinubu has officially ended the six-month state of emergency in Rivers, effective midnight on September 17, 2025, signalling an immediate return to democratic governance in the troubled oil-rich state.
The President announced personally that the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will resume their duties from September 18.
The state of emergency was declared on March 18, 2025, due to a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State. President Tinubu explained that the declaration was necessitated by a severe constitutional crisis where the Governor and the House of Assembly were locked in a bitter stalemate.
He highlighted that only four members of the House supported the Governor, while 27 members opposed him and backed the Speaker, which rendered the government dysfunctional.
“Critical economic assets, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised, and the State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden,” the President said.
Quoting the Supreme Court judgment in related disputes, President Tinubu emphasised that “there was no government in Rivers State.”
Despite efforts by himself and other Nigerians to mediate, “both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development.”
Invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu said, “I was obligated to proclaim the state of emergency” to arrest the slide towards anarchy.
“The suspension of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and the entire House of Assembly was initially for six months and was supported by the National Assembly, which evaluated the situation and approved the measure in the interest of peace and order.”
The President also expressed gratitude to traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support during the emergency period.
Acknowledging dissent voices who challenged the state of emergency in courts, Tinubu reaffirmed the constitutional basis for his action: “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 insisted that the Rivers State situation met this threshold, and failure to act would have been “a colossal failure” on his part.
Notably optimistic, President Tinubu revealed his hope in the renewed spirit of reconciliation among all stakeholders.
“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.”
He thus saw no reason for the emergency to continue beyond the initial six months.
He urged governors and assemblies nationwide to cherish peace and cooperation, stressing, “It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.”
President Tinubu closed with a patriotic call: “Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
This end to the emergency marks a critical turning point for Rivers State as it steps back from governance paralysis towards stability and democratic rule.
Credit: The Sun