President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially announced the end of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, effective from midnight today.
The decision marks the conclusion of a constitutional intervention aimed at restoring governance and public order following a prolonged political crisis that crippled the state’s executive and legislative functions.
In a national broadcast from the State House, President Tinubu recounted the events that led to the declaration on March 18, 2025. He described the situation in Rivers at the time as a “total paralysis of governance,” marked by a deep rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Assembly had fractured into rival factions, with 27 members opposing the governor and four supporting him. This political deadlock prevented the passage of vital bills, including the state budget, and left essential state services unfunded.
According to the president, efforts to mediate the conflict including interventions by himself and other concerned stakeholders failed to resolve the impasse. The crisis, compounded by escalating violence and the vandalism of critical infrastructure, prompted the federal government to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), suspending the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and the House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
President Tinubu thanked the National Assembly for promptly endorsing the emergency measure and praised the people and traditional institutions of Riversa0 State for their cooperation throughout the period.
“I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness and potent enthusiasm for an immediate return to democratic governance,” Tinubu said. He expressed confidence that peace and stability had been sufficiently restored to warrant the return to civilian rule.
With the emergency period now concluded, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, along with all suspended members, are to resume their official duties on Wednesday, September 18, 2025.
The president acknowledged legal challenges that arose during the emergency, noting that over 40 court cases were filed in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa seeking to invalidate the proclamation.
He defended the decision as necessary to prevent anarchy, citing the Supreme Court’s judgment which, at the time, found there was effectively no functioning government in Rivers State.
President Tinubu called on all governors and state assemblies across the country to prioritize peace, order, and cooperative governance, emphasizing that the delivery of democratic dividends depends on political stability.