President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the end of the state of emergency in Rivers State and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara, six months after suspending his administration over a protracted political crisis.
In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, September 17, 2025, Tinubu confirmed that the emergency proclamation, which took effect on March 18, 2025, has now expired and will not be renewed.
“I am happy to address you today on the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State. Six months ago, I invoked the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to prevent a total collapse of governance in the state,” Tinubu said.
He recalled that at the time of the proclamation, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy as the governor and the House of Assembly were locked in a bitter standoff that left governance at a standstill. The president cited vandalism of oil assets, legislative paralysis, and a Supreme Court judgment declaring “there was no government in Rivers State” as triggers for his intervention.
The emergency rule, approved by the National Assembly, suspended the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and members of the state assembly for six months. With its expiration today, Tinubu declared that Governor Fubara has been recalled to resume his duties.
Tinubu acknowledged that there were dissenting voices and multiple court challenges against his proclamation, but insisted that the action was necessary to safeguard peace and security.
“The power to declare a state of emergency is a constitutional tool to restore public order when normal mechanisms fail. It would have been a colossal failure on my part not to act,” he maintained.
The president expressed gratitude to traditional rulers, civil society, and residents of Rivers State for their patience during the turbulent period, while urging political actors in the state to put aside “Machiavellian manipulations” and work for the people’s welfare
