Tinubu ends Rivers emergency rule, Gov Fubara to resume tomorrow

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the end of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, restoring full democratic governance and reinstating elected officials.

In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu said the emergency proclamation, made on March 18, 2025, became necessary after a constitutional crisis crippled the state. He recalled that the prolonged rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly stalled budget approvals and left key economic assets exposed.

The President explained that his intervention under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution was to prevent a slide into anarchy. “Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State … it would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation,” he stated.

Tinubu expressed gratitude to the National Assembly, traditional rulers, and Rivers citizens for supporting his decision. He also acknowledged those who challenged the move in court, saying such dissent reflected democratic values.

Declaring that “the conditions that necessitated the emergency no longer exist,” Tinubu announced that from midnight, September 17, 2025, the proclamation would cease. Consequently, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and Speaker Martins Amaewhule alongside other Assembly members will resume their duties on September 18.

The President urged state executives and legislatures nationwide to pursue cooperation and peace. “It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.