NIGERIA is bracing for a politically charged week as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara are both set to return to the country today (Tuesday), ahead of Thursday’s historic transition that will restore democratic governance in Rivers State after six months of emergency rule.
News Point Nigeria reports that President Tinubu, who had been on vacation in France and the United Kingdom since September 4, will land in Abuja ahead of schedule to resume official duties, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“Mr. President is returning to Nigeria today to resume work immediately in Abuja,” Onanuga confirmed, noting that Tinubu had used part of his vacation to hold a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, where both leaders reviewed bilateral ties and agreed to deepen cooperation in energy, infrastructure, and security.
Governor Fubara is also due to arrive in Port Harcourt today after weeks in London, where he has been on a controversial retreat since his suspension from office following the declaration of emergency rule in March. His return marks the final step toward his reinstatement on Thursday, September 18, when Rivers State is expected to return to normal constitutional order.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator appointed by President Tinubu to run Rivers State during the emergency, has intensified preparations to hand over power.
On Sunday, Ibas kick-started a series of transition events with a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt. The Rivers State Government has announced that a public lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance” will be held today, Tuesday, at the Banquet Hall of Government House, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
A special government announcement signed by Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ibibia Worika, confirmed that Ibas will be the Special Guest of Honour at the lecture, urging invited guests to be seated by 9:30am
Thursday’s transition will formally end a turbulent chapter in Rivers politics that brought governance to a standstill and forced the federal government to take the extraordinary step of imposing emergency rule.
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers after months of political tension between Governor Fubara and his predecessor-turned-Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The crisis escalated when Fubara demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in December 2023, sparking a prolonged standoff with lawmakers, 27 of whom defected from the PDP to the APC.
The Supreme Court later ruled in February 2025 that Fubara’s actions were unconstitutional, describing the state as having collapsed into “one-man rule.”
The situation worsened in March when explosions rocked key crude oil infrastructure, including the Trans Niger Pipeline and a pipeline manifold in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, threatening Nigeria’s efforts to boost oil production.
Tinubu accused militants sympathetic to Fubara of sabotage and moved to dissolve state structures, appointing Ibas to steer the state until calm was restored.
In a related development, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt on Monday struck out a suit filed by lawyer William Abayomi challenging the legality of Tinubu’s appointment of Ibas as state administrator and the conduct of the August 30 Local Government elections.
Justice Stephen Jumbo ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction, affirming that only the Supreme Court can hear suits relating to emergency rule. He also held that the claimant lacked locus standi, having failed to demonstrate how his civil rights were personally violated.
The judge declared the LG elections legitimate, noting that they were conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in line with constitutional provisions.
Speaking with journalists after the ruling, claimant’s counsel Godsent Elewa said he would consult with his client before deciding whether to appeal.
The simultaneous return of Tinubu and Fubara is expected to heighten political activity in Rivers State over the next 48 hours.