President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lifted the State of Emergency in Rivers State, six months after it was first declared to address what he described as a total breakdown of governance in the state.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Wednesday evening, the President said the emergency rule will officially end at midnight, paving the way for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to resume their constitutional duties from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The emergency was declared on March 18, 2025, following months of political in Rivers State.
According to the President, the crisis had crippled the operations of the state government, with the House of Assembly divided into factions, oil facilities being vandalized, and the Governor unable to access funds to run the state’s affairs.
Tinubu explained that the intervention became necessary after attempts by well-meaning Nigerians to mediate between the executive and legislature failed, while the Supreme Court also ruled that the state was effectively without a functioning government.
He said invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) was the only constitutional option to restore peace and order.
During the six-month period, the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State Assembly were suspended.
The President, however, noted that intelligence reports now indicate a new atmosphere of peace and cooperation among political stakeholders in Rivers. He described the development as a “welcome achievement” and stressed that there was no further need to extend the emergency rule.
“With effect from midnight today, the State of Emergency in Rivers State is hereby lifted. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and the State House of Assembly will resume their constitutional duties from September 18, 2025,” Tinubu declared.
More to follow…