President Bola Tinubu has formally ended the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, paving the way for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly to resume their duties on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Presidency on Wednesday.
Tinubu said the emergency rule, declared on March 18, 2025, was a necessary measure to halt what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in the state.
“It gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today,” Tinubu said. “The governor, deputy governor, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will return to office on September 18.”
The President recalled that the prolonged conflict between the governor and 27 lawmakers loyal to the Speaker had left the state in a political stalemate, a situation the Supreme Court acknowledged when it noted there was effectively “no government in Rivers State.”
Tinubu explained that invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to suspend the governor, deputy governor, and state lawmakers for six months was unavoidable.
The National Assembly backed the move, he said, to restore order and avert a descent into anarchy.
“Over 40 lawsuits were filed to challenge the proclamation,” Tinubu noted, “but I remain convinced that failing to act would have been a monumental dereliction of duty on my part.”
He praised the apparent reconciliation among political stakeholders in Rivers, describing it as a positive sign that justifies ending the emergency.
“From the intelligence available to me, there is a renewed spirit of cooperation and commitment to democratic governance in Rivers State. I therefore see no reason why the emergency should last a day longer than the six months earlier pronounced,” the President said.
Tinubu urged governors and state assemblies nationwide to foster cooperation between the executive and legislative arms of government to ensure Nigerians reap the benefits of democracy.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.) has been serving as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State throughout the period of the emergency rule.
