Emergency Rule in Rivers Ends Midnight Today – President Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially announced the cessation of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, which was declared on March 18, 2025, following a severe governance crisis in the state.

In a statement issued from the State House, President Tinubu explained that the emergency was necessitated by a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, with the Governor and the State House of Assembly unable to work together. Critical state functions, including budget approvals and the protection of economic assets such as oil pipelines, had been severely disrupted, resulting in a constitutional impasse. The Supreme Court had also affirmed that there was effectively no functioning government in Rivers State at the time.

The state of emergency involved the suspension of the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period. President Tinubu thanked the National Assembly for approving the declaration, as well as traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their cooperation during the period.

Noting that a new spirit of understanding and readiness among all stakeholders in Rivers State had emerged, the President stated that there was no justification for extending the emergency further. He declared that effective midnight of September 17, 2025, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, would resume their official duties on September 18, 2025.

President Tinubu used the opportunity to remind all state executives and legislatures across Nigeria of the importance of peace, order, and cooperation in ensuring the effective delivery of democracy’s dividends to the people.