Asuquo Archibong, the Presidential candidate of the defunct Nigeria for Democracy in the 2019 general election, has said that the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State was not about Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
New Telegraph recalls that a state of emergency was declared in Rivers State on the 18th of March, due to conflict between Governor Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly
The six-month rule made it impossible for the Rivers State 2025 Appropriation Bill to be presented before the legislature.
The Federal Government intervened by appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator to manage the state for an initial six-month tenure, which expired on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Reacting to the development in a statement released on Friday, Archibong applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for lifting the six-month emergency rule.
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He also hailed Fubara’s reinstatement as “a respect for the rule of law and democracy in Rivers State.”
He said, “The return of democracy in the state will promote peaceful co-existence. Everything that played out will strengthen democracy.
“Anytime we have an aberration in terms of governance or the rule of law, it’s a painful experience. The emergency rule was not particularly pleasant. We should naturally welcome the reinstatement of democracy in River State.
“It’s not really about Fubara, but the experience of democracy so that we can have uninterrupted dividends of democracy in the state.”
Asuquo appealed to all stakeholders to set aside past grievances and embrace peace, noting that the important development is Fubara’s assumption of the mandate freely given to him by the Rivers electorate. He further called on the three arms of government to foster cooperation in the interest of the state.
“That’s why we have the three arms of government, and they are all equal arms. The executive branch is at the same level as the legislature and is at the same level as the judiciary, and they all have to work together for the betterment of the people. This is the principle of democracy.”
He appealed to the Rivers State House of Assembly to maintain a harmonious relationship with Governor Fubara for the progress of the state.
Asuquo also applauded the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his contribution to Fubara’s reinstatement following six months of emergency administration in the state.
