President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially announced the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State, six months after it was declared to address what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in the oil-rich state.
In a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, September 17, 2025, the President recalled that he declared the emergency on March 18, 2025, following a prolonged political impasse between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly. The standoff, he noted, had crippled governance, disrupted the state budget process, and left critical infrastructure and economic assets vulnerable.
Tinubu explained that at the time of the proclamation, only four lawmakers supported the Governor, while 27 legislators backed the Speaker, creating a legislative deadlock. This division prevented the Governor from presenting an appropriation bill to the Assembly, thereby halting access to funds for governance. The President also referenced a Supreme Court judgment which, he said, concluded that there was effectively “no government in Rivers State.”
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“It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency,” Tinubu said.
The emergency rule, which suspended the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the House of Assembly, was approved by the National Assembly shortly after Tinubu’s proclamation.
The President expressed gratitude to lawmakers, traditional rulers, and the people of Rivers State for their support throughout the six-month period, while also acknowledging dissenting voices who challenged the declaration in court.
“That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety,” Tinubu stated.
Reiterating his commitment to democracy, Tinubu stressed that harmonious coexistence between the executive and legislature is essential for effective governance at all levels.
“The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations,” he added.
The President declared that with the expiration of the six-month period, normal governance structures would resume in Rivers State. He urged all political actors in the state to put aside differences, restore peace, and prioritize the development needs of the people.
Tinubu added that intelligence reports indicate a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among stakeholders in Rivers State, paving the way for the restoration of full democratic governance.
“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. 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 announced.
The President also used the occasion to remind governors and state assemblies across Nigeria that peace, order, and good governance remain the foundations for delivering the dividends of democracy.
“I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times. I thank you all. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he concluded.
