President Bola Tinubu took advantage of the chance to address those who disagreed with his choice by lifting the state of emergency that was imposed in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, on Wednesday.
In a statement headed “Cessation of State of Emergency in Rivers State,” Tinubu stated he was aware of the criticisms brought about by his actions.
Despite ongoing legal proceedings regarding the Rivers emergency rule, the president asserted that the constitution gives him the authority to take action when a breakdown in law and order is imminent.
“I am aware that there were certain anti-proclamation voices, which prompted them to file more than 40 petitions in the courts of Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa to invalidate the pronouncement. It should be that way in a democratic environment.
As of right now, there are still some cases that are pending in the courts. The ability to proclaim a state of emergency, however, is a built-in constitutional mechanism to deal with situations where public safety and order are really or potentially threatening to collapse and extraordinary measures are needed to restore peace, order, and security to the state.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the conflicts between Rivers State’s legislative and executive branches demonstrated that, when viewed objectively, public safety and order had completely collapsed in the state. Tinubu declared, “It would have been a monumental failure on my part as president not to have made that proclamation.”
When Tinubu lifted the emergency rule, he instructed the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the deputy governor, Ngozi Nma Odu, to return to their duties as of today.
On March 18, 2025, Tinubu pulled a surprising stunt by declaring a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, citing irreconcilable differences between political actors, particularly between Governor Similayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Two factions arose fighting for supremacy, and the secretariat of the Rivers State House of Assembly was demolished overnight as the political intrigues continued.
Tinubu also defended his declaration of a state of emergency, claiming that the state’s destruction of vital economic resources, such as oil pipelines, and the situation trembling the state House of Assembly, required it.
On Wednesday, Tinubu declared, “My fellow citizens, and especially the good people of Rivers State.”
“I am pleased to speak to you today regarding Rivers State’s declaration of emergency. As you may remember, on March 18, 2025, I declared a state of emergency throughout the state. I emphasized the justifications for the declaration in my proclamation speech.
The governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly were unable to cooperate because of the complete paralysis of governance in the state, to put it in perspective. Important state economic resources, such as oil pipelines, were being vandalized.
Due to the state House of Assembly’s ongoing turmoil, its members were split into two factions. Of the members, 27 opposed the governor, while four collaborated with him. The latter group gave the speaker their support. Because of this, the governor was unable to introduce any appropriation bills in the House that would have allowed him to obtain monies for the administration of Rivers State.
Government in the state came to a complete halt as a result of that severe constitutional deadlock. In a ruling in a series of challenges brought by Rivers State’s legislative and executive branches against one another, the Supreme Court even declared that the state lacked a government. My and other well-meaning Nigerians’ attempts to mediate the conflict failed because both sides steadfastly maintained their positions at the expense of the state’s stability and progress.
As a result, it became painfully unavoidable that I would have to declare a state of emergency using the authority granted to me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, in order to stop Rivers State’s spiral into chaos. First, elected members of the state House of Assembly, as well as the governor and deputy governor’s offices, were suspended for six months. On this day, September 17, 2025, the six months come to an end.
I express my gratitude to the National Assembly, which promptly acted as required by the constitution to ratify the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State after carefully considering the arguments for it. From the moment the state of emergency was declared till now, I am also grateful to the wonderful people of Rivers State and our traditional rulers for their support.
Tinubu did acknowledge, however, that certain dissident voices had criticized the state’s declaration of emergency, which led to legal delays.
He says that as a supporter of democratic governance, he thinks that a successful government, whether at the state or federal level, depends on the executive and legislature having a harmonious existence and relationship.
According to him, people expect to benefit from democracy after electing leaders to office. In an environment of violence, chaos, and instability brought on by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders, that expectation will not be able to be realized.
According to the information at my disposal, I am pleased to report that all parties involved in Rivers State are demonstrating a strong desire for an immediate restoration to democratic administration, as well as a newfound spirit of understanding and readiness. Undoubtedly, this is a noteworthy accomplishment for us and a great development for me. I consequently fail to see why the state of emergency should last one day longer than the six months I declared when I first declared it.
It is with great joy that I announce the end of the emergency in Rivers State, Nigeria, as of midnight today. The Rivers State House of Assembly members and speaker Martins Amaewhule, along with the governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, and the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, will return to their duties on September 18, 2025.
We can only provide the benefits of democracy to our citizens in an environment of peace, order, and good governance, so I would want to take this opportunity to remind the governors and Houses of Assembly of every state in our nation. Let this realization guide your behavior at all times, I beg you all.
Encouraged to have courage and focus on his assigned mission, Fubara
However, several Nigerians have responded to the news as President Bola Tinubu declares emergency rule in Rivers State to end today, citing the complete paralysis of the state’s governance as the reason.
According to former presidential candidate Chief Martin Onovo, who told the Daily Independent that President Bola Tinubu was to blame for the setback, Fubara should focus on the mandate that his people have given him.
“The leadership in Nigeria is the issue. The illegality of the Tinubu administration is the cause of this predicament. It is illegal for Fubara to be suspended. That isn’t constitutional. Thus, when you create a problem of this nature, other issues begin to surface.
It may happen anywhere, and what happened to him can happen to anyone. When a coup d’etat occurred, the government was overthrown.
He was subjected to a coup d’etat. I might experience it. Anyone could experience it.
According to the law, the safety and well-being of the populace are the main goals of government. If Fubara returns to office, he should do everything in his power to ensure the safety and well-being of the populace.
When he returns, he ought to consider how he might best advance his people’s safety and well-being. In the event that nothing remains, he will wait for the next federation account allocation to receive additional funds, which he will then utilize to support his people’s welfare by providing infrastructure, education, health care, and other necessities.
The Ijaw National Congress President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, expressed regret that Rivers State has experienced unemployment, poverty, and other societal ills as a result of the six months of emergence rule.
Governor Fubara should be encouraged and supported to continue carrying out the duties and mandate that the people have given him, he said.
“In fact, six months of emergency rule in River State, from March 18 to September 18, 2025, have resulted in very significant losses across multiple sectors,” Okaba stated in an interview with Arise TV. Additionally, these losses have an effect on the economy, social services, and democratic consolidation in the short and long terms.
We had a dictatorship in place, represented by the so-called appointed, as a result of the suspension of the governor, deputy governor, and legislature. This deprives the people of River State of elected representation. There was centralized governance. Decisions from one table were taken without any legislative input, so the public was not held accountable.
Because of all of this, democracy’s fundamental tenet—government of, by, and for the people—has been weakened. In addition to the one administrator chosen at the head of state, local governments also had administrators, I mean across the 25 local government regions, which further degraded accountability and grassroots democracy, undermining local autonomy. Indeed, local government elections were held in August 2025. We all witnessed the accusations of partiality directed at the single person who was able to seize control of the 25 local government districts. Additionally, this has made the idea of political capture seem worse. Prior to and during the declaration, we discussed these topics.
Speaking of investment, there was a certain amount of indifference to the extent that economic activity was quite low. It was reported that the uncertainty resulted in low patronage for businessmen and investors. Currently, there are two significant projects in progress.
The N195 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road project, Ring Road, and the Trans-Kalabari Initiative are all being discussed. All of these were put on hold, which has worsened transportation difficulties and led to deteriorating development. Approximately 10,000 jobs were destroyed due to political considerations.
People were kicked out of their jobs, which led to hardship and more unemployment. In the past, Port Harcourt was referred to as the Garden City. During this time, it was evident that Port Harcourt’s surroundings were covered with various types of waste, which actually deteriorated social services due to improper sanitation practices.
According to Malachy Ugwumadu, the former president of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Fubara’s lack of decisiveness made his situation worse.
“Fubara benefits from this experience,” he stated. When you need to be really determined and decisive, it doesn’t pay to be indecisive. He should be aware of this. Because that is how he put himself in a really bad predicament that weakens him greatly.
Unfortunately for him, history has already documented him and will continue to do so. As a nation, we also need to figure out how to prevent any one individual, no matter how strong, from controlling the flow of power. The white man who created the idea of democracy was aware that people tend to abuse their position of authority. Perhaps a new pattern of weakness has been demonstrated by what Rivers State has experienced. who not only delegitimized their own political party but also obstructed it in favor of another party since they were unable to find what they need.
The Center for Public Accountability’s Executive Director, Femi Lawson, stated that political players need to realize that peace in Rivers State cannot be negotiated.
He claimed that political players in Rivers State must have realized that peace is eventually unachievable. In addition to the need for peace, the interests of the people of Rivers State must come first, not the political interests of those who declared a state of emergency. Although the legitimacy of the president’s conduct is still up for debate, they must take every precaution to prevent what has occurred in Rivers State, as well as in other federation states. Rivers State’s return to democratic administration is a positive development.
Instead of concentrating on who his friends and foes are, Fubaraba ought to concentrate on his duty to provide Rivers State the benefits of democracy. He ought to concentrate on fulfilling the Rivers people’s mandate.
The fact that Wike has served as that state’s governor should be clear to him. Although it is assumed that he is the governor’s political godfather, which is not known by the law, he should give Fubara the support he needs and let him carry out his duties as governor of Rivers State without needlessly trying to dictate how governance in that state should proceed. He need to let Fubara govern Rivers State while he concentrates on his responsibilities as the FCT’s minister. In addition, I urge the president to call Mr. Wike and urge him to concentrate on his responsibilities as a minister and let Fubara handle governance matters.
