President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared an end to the State of Emergency in Rivers State, six months after imposing the extraordinary measure to address what he described as a total breakdown of governance in the state.
The president announced on Wednesday that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will return to their offices on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Tinubu had proclaimed the State of Emergency on March 18, 2025, citing violent political disputes between the executive and legislative arms of Rivers State. At the height of the crisis, the governor was unable to present a budget to the legislature, 27 lawmakers opposed him, and vital economic assets such as oil pipelines came under threat.
The Supreme Court, ruling in one of several cases arising from the conflict, even held that there was effectively no functioning government in Rivers.
“That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill,” Tinubu said in his broadcast. “It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy, I was obligated to proclaim the state of emergency.
The suspension of the governor, his deputy, and the state assembly was met with sharp criticism from lawyers, civil society groups, and opposition leaders. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) argued that the president lacked constitutional authority to suspend elected officials. More than 40 legal challenges were filed in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa seeking to overturn the declaration..
“Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State,” he said. “It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.”
Declaring the emergency over, Tinubu said intelligence reports indicated that stakeholders in Rivers had embraced “a new spirit of understanding” and readiness to return to democratic governance.
“I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced,” the president added.
He reminded governors and lawmakers nationwide that harmony between the executive and legislature is essential for delivering the dividends of democracy, cautioning against political brinkmanship that could destabilize governance.
The decision restores civilian leadership in Rivers State after months of federal intervention, shifting attention back to how Governor Fubara and the state assembly will manage their renewed relationship.
Background
The political crisis in Rivers State escalated late in 2024 following a bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and factions within the State House of Assembly. Clashes between rival political groups led to violent protests, arson attacks on government buildings, and the disruption of legislative activities.
Concerned that the situation could destabilize the state and disrupt oil production—Rivers being a major contributor to Nigeria’s crude output—President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in March 2025, effectively placing the state under federal control.
While security was restored, legal and constitutional debates trailed the move. Critics argued that suspending elected officials undermined democratic governance. Civil society groups and opposition parties accused the presidency of overreach, while supporters of the decision insisted it was necessary to preserve national security.
With the emergency now lifted, political observers say attention will turn to how Governor Fubara and the legislature reconcile their differences and restore public confidence in governance.
