President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared an end to the state of emergency in Rivers State, with effect from Thursday, September 18, 2025, marking the resumption of democratic governance after six months of suspended political activity.
In a nationwide statement, President Tinubu said intelligence at his disposal showed a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm” among stakeholders in the state to restore peace and good governance.
“This is undoubtedly a welcome development and a remarkable achievement for our government. There is no need why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months pronounced on March 18, 2025,” he said.
With the proclamation lifted, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will immediately resume work in their offices.
President Tinubu urged state executives and legislators across Nigeria to always remember that peace and order remain the foundation for delivering dividends of democracy.
Before the emergency rule was proclaimed on March 18, 2025, Rivers State had been engulfed in a constitutional crisis. The Governor and House of Assembly were at loggerheads, with the Assembly split between four pro-Governor members and 27 loyal to the Speaker.
This stalemate prevented the passage of an appropriation bill, paralysed governance, and emboldened criminal groups who vandalised oil pipelines and other economic assets.
The Supreme Court had at one point ruled that there was “no government in Rivers State,” underscoring the severity of the crisis.
According to Tinubu, his intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians initially failed to reconcile both sides. He said declaring the emergency under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution was the only viable option left to avert total anarchy.
“It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation. The power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to restore order and peace,” he explained.
The President thanked the National Assembly for promptly approving the emergency declaration, as well as traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their patience and support.
He acknowledged that some dissenters challenged the proclamation in over 40 court cases across Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, with some still pending.
“That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. However, considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State. I believe the people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy, and that expectation is only realizable in an atmosphere of peace,” the President concluded.
