RIVERS State erupted in jubilation on Wednesday evening as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the immediate end of the six-month emergency rule imposed on the state and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara along with other affected officials.
News Point Nigeria reports that the news, which broke during the 6pm radio bulletin on local stations, sent markets, motor parks, and residential areas into a frenzy.
Traders at Mile One and Mile Three markets, who had been anxiously monitoring their radio devices, broke into spontaneous celebration as soon as the announcement was made.
Eyewitnesses reported that jubilant meat sellers turned their knives and tables into makeshift drums, creating improvised music to which residents danced. Tomato sellers also joined in, using their measuring containers as percussion instruments.
Commercial motorists plying major routes such as Ikwerre Road, Ada George, Rumokoro, and Ogbogoro expressed their excitement by slashing transport fares, while others drove through the city honking horns in celebration, causing momentary traffic chaos.
In Port Harcourt’s Government Reserved Areas, including the upscale Casablanca neighborhood, residents trooped into the streets in celebratory processions, creating traffic gridlocks as more people poured out to join the festivities.
“This is a victory for democracy and for Rivers people.
“Fubara is our governor, and we are happy to have him back,” one excited trader said, waving a green-white-green flag”.
Security operatives were seen maintaining order as crowds grew larger into the night, but the mood remained peaceful and carnival-like.
Some govt officials told this newspaper that the celebrations are likely to continue into Thursday as residents eagerly await the governor’s official return to the state capital, an event expected to draw massive crowds and political stakeholders.
For many in Rivers, Wednesday marked the end of a tense six-month period that saw the state under emergency administration.
With Fubara’s reinstatement, attention now shifts to how quickly governance will resume and whether the renewed mandate will calm political tensions.
