President Bola Tinubu has lifted the six-month Emergency rule in Rivers State, cautioning political actors in the State against sliding back into conflict, warning that democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of violence, division and brinkmanship.
The six-month state of emergency in Rivers will lapse at midnight, allowing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu and members of the State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule to return to their duties on Thursday, September 18.
Tinubu said recent intelligence reports indicated improved cooperation among stakeholders in the state, creating a pathway for democratic governance to resume.
But he stressed that “The people who entrusted us with their votes deserve to enjoy the dividends of democracy, expectations that cannot be met where there is rancour and violence.”
The emergency was imposed on March 18, 2025, after weeks of bitter disputes between the executive and legislature left the state without a functioning budget, paralysed governance, and led to vandalism of public assets.
Mediation efforts collapsed, and the Supreme Court, in its ruling at the time, noted the near total breakdown of government in Rivers.
Tinubu defended his intervention, saying the measure was constitutional and became necessary to restore law and order. He also thanked traditional rulers, citizens and state institutions for their cooperation throughout the emergency period.
While acknowledging that some groups challenged the proclamation in court, Tinubu said the outcome justified the action, insisting that the primary goal was to protect the interests of Rivers people and safeguard democratic stability.
“As the emergency comes to an end, it is my hope that all stakeholders will put the state first and work in harmony. This country cannot afford another relapse into crisis in any of its states,” he said.
The President also urged governors and legislators across Nigeria to learn from Rivers’ experience and maintain constructive relations between arms of government.
According to him, the lesson of the past six months is that political rivalry must never be allowed to overwhelm governance or deny citizens the services they deserve.
Governor Fubara is expected to reconvene his cabinet immediately, while the House of Assembly is due to resume legislative business after months of oversight by the emergency administrator.
Civil servants, whose salaries and operations were managed directly from Abuja during the intervention, will now revert to state authority.
Analysts say the lifting of the emergency will be a critical test of whether Rivers politicians have learnt to compromise or whether old rivalries will flare again.
The state, one of Nigeria’s key oil-producing regions, remains vital to national revenue, and any renewed instability could have far-reaching economic consequences.
Tinubu underscored this point, saying Rivers must demonstrate that “Politics can be about service, not destruction”, while warning that the Federal government would not hesitate to act if governance once again ground to a halt.
With the midnight deadline approaching, attention has shifted to Port Harcourt, where residents are waiting to see how quickly normal government activity will resume and whether peace will hold.
