President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially lifted the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly. The President made the announcement in a nationwide address on Tuesday, declaring that the emergency rule would end at midnight.
Tinubu recalled that the state of emergency was proclaimed on March 18, 2025, after a breakdown in governance paralysed Rivers State. He cited deep divisions in the House of Assembly, vandalism of critical economic assets, and the inability of the executive and legislature to work together as reasons for his intervention.
“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,” Tinubu said, noting that even the Supreme Court had ruled that effective government no longer existed in the state at the time.
The President explained that his decision to suspend the governor, deputy, and Assembly members for six months was necessary to prevent “anarchy” and restore order, describing the proclamation as a painful but constitutional step. He thanked the National Assembly, traditional rulers, and the people of Rivers State for supporting the emergency measures, while acknowledging that some dissenting voices had challenged the declaration in court.
Tinubu noted that intelligence reports now indicate a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among stakeholders in Rivers State. He expressed optimism that the renewed commitment to peace and democratic governance by both the executive and legislature justified the lifting of the emergency rule.
“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,” the President declared.
He also used the occasion to caution governors and lawmakers across the country to uphold peace, stability, and constitutional order in their respective states. “It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.
The reinstatement marks the end of one of the most turbulent political chapters in Rivers State, where a protracted power struggle between Governor Fubara and the state legislature had escalated into a full-blown constitutional crisis.
