President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the end of the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, declaring that democratic governance will resume fully from midnight, September 17, 2025.
In a national address on Wednesday, the President recalled that the emergency was declared on March 18, 2025, following a breakdown of governance marked by the inability of the Governor and State Assembly to work together, widespread vandalism of vital economic assets, and a constitutional impasse that paralyzed the state.
Tinubu explained that his intervention became necessary after several failed mediation efforts, noting that even the Supreme Court had ruled there was effectively no functioning government in Rivers at the time. Under the proclamation, the Governor, Deputy Governor, and all members of the State Assembly were suspended for six months.
The President thanked the National Assembly for approving the measure, traditional rulers for their support, and the people of Rivers for their patience. He acknowledged dissenting voices who challenged the proclamation in court but stressed that the Constitution empowers the President to act in situations of breakdown of public order and safety.
Expressing satisfaction with renewed cooperation among stakeholders in Rivers, Tinubu said: “From the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of understanding and readiness to return to democratic governance. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer.”
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule are expected to resume office on September 18, 2025.
Tinubu urged all state executives and legislatures across the country to foster peaceful relations, reminding them that only in an atmosphere of order and stability can the dividends of democracy be delivered to Nigerians.
