President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared the end of state of emergency in Rivers State, just as he directed Governor Siminilayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu to return to office.
The emergency rule, according to the president, ends midnight today.
The president announced too that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, would resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025 as well.
It would be recalled that the president, in a nationwide broadcast on March 18, 2025, and exercising his constitutional power, proclaimed a state of emergency in the state, hinging it on the “total paralysis of governance in Rivers State.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the president said with the return of the spirit of readiness among the stakeholders to operate harmoniously and promote democratic rule, it was not necessary to extend the emergency rule beyond the first six months which expires today.
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His words: “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 on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.
“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.”
He added: “I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that 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.”
