President Bola Tinubu has officially declared an end to the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, confirming that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly will resume office duties from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The announcement, released by the Presidency on Wednesday, marked the expiration of the emergency rule first proclaimed on March 18, 2025, following what Tinubu described as a “total paralysis of governance” in the state.
“It gives me immense pleasure to announce that the emergency rule in Rivers State will cease at midnight today. From tomorrow, Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Odu, and the entire State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule will return to their constitutional roles,” the statement read.
Tinubu recalled that bitter disputes between the governor and 27 pro-speaker lawmakers had crippled governance in the state, with the Supreme Court even acknowledging in its ruling that Rivers had “no functional government.”
“It therefore became imperative to prevent the slide into anarchy. As such, I invoked the powers of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to declare a state of emergency. The offices of the governor, deputy governor, and assembly were suspended for six months, and that period expires today,” Tinubu said.
The President insisted the move, backed by the National Assembly, was constitutionally necessary to restore peace. He acknowledged that over 40 lawsuits had challenged the emergency, but stressed it would have been a failure of leadership not to act.
Expressing relief at the current situation, Tinubu said intelligence reports indicate a “new wave of cooperation and readiness” among Rivers’ political stakeholders to restore democratic governance.
“With this renewed commitment to unity, I see no reason for the emergency rule to extend beyond its original six months. It is now time for Rivers to return to democratic governance,” he added.
Tinubu also urged political leaders nationwide to ensure collaboration between executive and legislative arms of government to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
Since the proclamation, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas has served as Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
