President Bola Tinubu has lifted the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, restoring Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, to office.
In a nationwide address, Tinubu directed suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to resume their legislative duties.
The emergency rule was declared on March 18, 2025, due to a constitutional impasse between the governor and the assembly, which rendered governance impossible and left critical economic assets vulnerable.
Despite interventions, both sides remained entrenched, prompting Tinubu to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
Tinubu noted that “It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.
”The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealized in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders,” the president added.
The president urged both the executive and legislative arms to set aside political hostilities and work together in the interest of citizens.
Tinubu emphasized the need for stakeholders to prioritize the welfare of citizens, warning that violence, anarchy, and insecurity would undermine democratic progress. The president expressed optimism that the restored leadership would work together to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State.