Tinubu Lifts Rivers Emergency Rule, Lists Reasons He Imposed It

It is freedom at last in Rivers State as President Bola Tinubu has lifted the 6-month emergency rule proclaimed there on March 18, 2025.

He has also restated reasons why the emergency rule became inevitable in the oil-rich state.

The president, who announced the lifting in a statement today stated:

“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”.

According to the president, “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 said.

Recalling the incidents which led to the proclamation of the emergency rule, the president stated:

“In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration.

“The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together.

“Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised.Financial software

“The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups.

“Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor. The latter group supported the Speaker.

“As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs.

“That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill.

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“Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State.

“My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.

“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. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025,” Tinubu said.

Having now suspended the emergency rule, the president stated:

“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.”