President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lifted the state of emergency in Rivers State and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara to office, six months after his suspension.
In a statement released by the Presidency on Wednesday, Tinubu directed Fubara to resume official duties on Thursday, September 18, alongside his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule.
“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today,” the President announced.
Tinubu had declared emergency rule in the state earlier this year, citing provisions of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the President to act in cases of war, breakdown of public order, natural disasters, or threats to national security.
A sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, was appointed to oversee the state’s affairs during the period. he proclamation, however, sparked widespread criticism from legal scholars and civic groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who described it as unconstitutional and an overreach of executive powers. Tinubu defended his action at the time, insisting it was necessary to restore law and order amid the escalating political crisis.
The crisis, rooted in the bitter feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had plunged the state into prolonged political instability. While the emergency rule temporarily calmed tensions, observers say the underlying rivalry and its political implications are far from over.
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