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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday announced the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State, bringing to an end six months of emergency rule imposed following a constitutional and political crisis that paralysed governance in the oil-rich state.
Addressing the nation in a statehouse broadcast, President Tinubu recalled that the emergency was declared on March 18, 2025, after a bitter conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly plunged the state into a governance deadlock.
He explained that the inability of the executive and legislature to work together, coupled with vandalism of vital economic assets and a divided legislature, necessitated his intervention under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
“Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive, as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the state,” Tinubu said.
The emergency proclamation, which suspended the governor, deputy governor, and members of the State Assembly for six months, was ratified by the National Assembly. Tinubu expressed gratitude to lawmakers, traditional rulers, and citizens of Rivers for their support, while acknowledging dissenting voices who challenged the legality of his decision in court.
“The power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation,” he stated.
The President, however, said he was encouraged by recent signs of reconciliation and cooperation among political actors in Rivers State. “From the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all stakeholders for an immediate return to democratic governance,” he declared.
Tinubu announced that the emergency rule will lapse at midnight on September 17, 2025. Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, Speaker Martins Amaewhule, and members of the House of Assembly are expected to resume their offices beginning September 18.
The President urged all state governments to draw lessons from the Rivers crisis, stressing that peaceful coexistence between the executive and legislature remains central to the delivery of democratic dividends.
“It is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times,” Tinubu concluded.
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