President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday declared the end of the six-month-old state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, restoring Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly to office with effect from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, said the emergency, which was proclaimed on March 18, 2025, became inevitable following what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in the oil-rich state. He recalled that the deep division between the governor and 27 members of the House of Assembly led to a constitutional crisis that crippled the state’s legislative and executive functions.
“The serious impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions,” the President said.
The President explained that his decision to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and suspend elected officials was to prevent the slide into anarchy and protect critical economic assets, including oil pipelines, from further sabotage.
He, however, noted that the expiration of the six-month period, coupled with what he termed “a new spirit of understanding and readiness among stakeholders,” paved the way for the restoration of democratic governance.
“I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced. It gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today,” Tinubu announced.
While thanking the National Assembly, traditional rulers, and the people of Rivers State for their support during the emergency period, Tinubu cautioned political leaders across the country to prioritise peace, order, and good governance.
“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 and Machiavellian manipulations,” he warned.
With the lifting of the emergency, all suspended officials, including Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Odu, and Speaker Martins Amaewhule, are expected to resume duties immediately.
Tinubu Ends State of Emergency in Rivers, Orders Immediate Resumption of Fubara, Assembly Members
