President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lifted the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State and ordered the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly, effective Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Tinubu announced the decision in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, ending six months of suspended democratic governance in the oil-rich state.
He recalled that the state of emergency was first declared on March 18, 2025, after a breakdown in relations between the governor and the state legislature created what the Supreme Court later described as “no government in Rivers State.”
“It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance,” Tinubu said.
The President explained that the suspension of governance structures was necessary at the time due to paralysis of governance, vandalism of vital economic assets, and deep divisions within the House of Assembly, where only four lawmakers supported the governor while 27 backed the speaker.
Tinubu, however, noted that fresh intelligence showed a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among political actors in Rivers, making it possible to restore normal governance without extending the emergency rule.
“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.”
“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.”
The President thanked the National Assembly for approving the emergency proclamation, traditional rulers for their support, and the people of Rivers State for their patience during the suspension period.
He also cautioned political leaders nationwide to prioritize peace, order, and good governance above personal or partisan interests, stressing that only in such an atmosphere could Nigerians truly enjoy the dividends of democracy.