NIGERIA: Tinubu Ends State Of Emergency In Rivers State, Fubara, Assembly Members To Resume Duties

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, September 17, 2025, bringing to an end a six-month suspension of democratic institutions in the state.

In a statement on Wednesday, Tinubu recalled that he had declared the emergency on March 18, 2025, following what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in Rivers.

The crisis, marked by a bitter standoff between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly, had prevented the passage of appropriation bills and disrupted the management of vital economic assets, including oil pipelines.

The President noted that even the Supreme Court had held in its judgment that there was effectively no government in Rivers State.

He explained that invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution was necessary to prevent anarchy after several interventions to resolve the impasse failed.

Under the proclamation, the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and members of the State Assembly were suspended for an initial period of six months.

Tinubu thanked the National Assembly for swiftly approving the measure, traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their cooperation, and acknowledged that dissenting voices challenging the declaration in court were part of a healthy democracy.

He emphasized that the constitutional power to declare a state of emergency is designed to restore peace, order, and security when governance collapses.

Expressing satisfaction with what he described as a “groundswell of understanding and readiness” among Rivers stakeholders to return to democratic governance, the President said there was no justification for extending the emergency beyond the initial six months.

“With effect from midnight today, the emergency in Rivers State shall end. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule will resume work in their offices from September 18, 2025,” Tinubu declared.

He urged governors and state assemblies nationwide to prioritize harmony between the executive and legislature, stressing that peace and good governance are essential to delivering democratic dividends to Nigerians.