PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally announced the end of the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, restoring Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to their offices.
News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu made the announcement on Tuesday, in a national broadcast from the State House, Abuja, declaring that the emergency would cease at midnight.
“It gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end 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.
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to proclaim a state of emergency in Rivers State following what he described as a “total paralysis of governance.”
The declaration came after months of political crisis that pitched Governor Fubara against a majority faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
At the peak of the crisis, 27 lawmakers opposed the governor while only four supported him, making it impossible to pass appropriation bills or conduct legislative business.
The conflict escalated into a security threat as oil pipelines were vandalised, protests rocked Port Harcourt, and the Supreme Court ruled that there was “no functional government” in the state.
Efforts by the presidency, traditional rulers, and elder statesmen to mediate failed, forcing the President to suspend the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and House members for an initial six months, pending the restoration of order.
In his broadcast, Tinubu defended the proclamation, saying it was a constitutional necessity aimed at preventing the state from sliding into anarchy.
“It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation. 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 said.
The President acknowledged dissenting voices who challenged the legality of the move in over 40 court cases but insisted that extraordinary measures were required to safeguard lives, property, and governance.
President Tinubu said intelligence reports from security agencies and political stakeholders indicated that Rivers State was now ready for a peaceful return to democratic governance.
“There is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance,” Tinubu noted, calling it a “remarkable achievement.”
Tinubu used the occasion to caution governors, lawmakers, and other political actors across Nigeria to put the interests of citizens first and avoid Machiavellian politics that disrupt 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,” he warned.
With the emergency lifted, Rivers State is expected to resume full democratic operations starting Wednesday, September 18, 2025.
The reinstated governor and House of Assembly will now have the task of passing a long-delayed budget and reconciling political differences.