President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight of September 17, 2025.
The President, in a statement he signed, said the emergency proclamation, which suspended the Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State House of Assembly for six months, had achieved its purpose of restoring order to the state.
Tinubu recalled that he was compelled to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution in March 2025 following a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State. According to him, the inability of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly to work together, coupled with the vandalisation of critical economic assets, had plunged the state into anarchy.
“The situation became so dire that even the Supreme Court held in one of its judgments that there was no government in Rivers State,” the President stated.
He thanked the National Assembly for approving the proclamation and commended traditional rulers and citizens of Rivers State for their cooperation during the period.
President Tinubu also acknowledged dissenting voices who challenged the declaration in courts, describing it as part of democratic practice.
With improved understanding among political stakeholders in the state, the President said there was no justification to extend the emergency rule.
He declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, Speaker Martins Amaewhule, and all members of the State House of Assembly will resume their duties on September 18, 2025.
Tinubu urged political leaders across the country to foster peace and harmony in order to deliver the dividends of democracy.
“Only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government can we meet the expectations of our people,” he said.
Bello Wakili
