Abuja, September 17, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the termination of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, effective at midnight tonight, September 17, 2025. The decision paves the way for the immediate return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and the 32-member Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, to resume their constitutional roles starting Thursday, September 18, 2025.
In a personally signed statement released by the Presidency, Tinubu cited a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” and “robust readiness” among stakeholders, based on intelligence reports, as the basis for lifting the emergency rule.
“This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us,” Tinubu stated. “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.”
The emergency rule, enacted on March 18, 2025, followed a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, sparked by a feud between Governor Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The conflict, which began in late 2023, escalated with the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex by Fubara’s order in December 2023, paralyzing governance and stalling the state’s 2024 Appropriation Bill.
The Supreme Court’s February 2025 ruling, which condemned Fubara’s actions as “unconstitutional and despotic,” further deepened the crisis, culminating in an explosion at the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA, on March 17, 2025. Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu declared the emergency, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator.
Ibas dissolved key political structures and oversaw local government elections on August 30, 2025, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 20 of 23 chairmanship seats.
Tinubu’s statement commended the National Assembly, traditional rulers, and Rivers residents for their cooperation during the emergency period.
He urged stakeholders to prioritize peace and good governance, stating, “It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.”
Reactions to the announcement vary.
The Rivers APC, led by Chairman Emeka Beke, invited Fubara to defect to the party, while PDP’s Okechukwu Osuoha called for accountability and reconciliation with Wike. Analysts suggest the emergency may have weakened Fubara’s political standing, potentially strengthening Wike’s influence.
Social media on X reflected widespread engagement, with users like @chude__ and @iReporteronline amplifying the news.
As Rivers State prepares for Fubara’s return, attention turns to whether this marks a genuine resolution or a temporary pause in the state’s turbulent political saga
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