Tinubu Stands by Emergency Rule Amid Fubara, Assembly Resumption

In an attempt to address those who disagreed with his decision, President Bola Tinubu revoked the state of emergency that was imposed in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, on Wednesday.

In a personally written statement titled “Cessation of State of Emergency in Rivers State,” Tinubu acknowledged that he was aware of the criticisms that followed his actions.

The president asserted that the constitution gives him the authority to take action when a breakdown of law and order is threatened, even in the face of ongoing legal proceedings on the Rivers emergency rule.

I am aware that some people disagreed with the proclamation, and as a result, they filed more than 40 cases to invalidate it in the courts of Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa. In a democracy, that is how things ought to be.

As of right now, a few instances are still ongoing in the courts. However, it should be noted that the authority to proclaim a state of emergency is a built-in constitutional mechanism to deal with situations where public safety and order are actually or potentially threatening to break down and extraordinary measures are needed to restore peace, order, and security to the state.

When viewed objectively, the Supreme Court’s ruling on the conflicts between Rivers State’s legislative and executive branches demonstrated that public safety and order had completely collapsed in the state. “Not making that proclamation as president would have been a monumental failure on my part,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu lifted the emergency rule and instructed the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the deputy governor, Ngozi Nma Odu, to return to their duties as of today.

When Tinubu announced a state of emergency in the oil-rich state on March 18, 2025, he pulled a surprising stunt by claiming that the political actors couldn’t agree, particularly between Governor Similayi Fubara and Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

While the political machinations persisted, two factions arose fighting for supremacy, and the secretariat of the Rivers State House of Assembly was demolished overnight.

Tinubu further defended his actions by claiming that the state House of Assembly turmoil and the damage of vital economic assets, including as oil pipelines, required him to declare a state of emergency.

“My fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State,” Tinubu declared on Wednesday.

It gives me great pleasure to speak to you today on Rivers State’s declaration of emergency. As you may remember, I declared a state of emergency throughout the state on March 18, 2025. I emphasized the declaration’s justifications in my proclamation speech.

To put things in perspective, the governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly were unable to cooperate because of the complete paralysis of administration in the state. Oil pipelines and other vital state economic assets were being vandalized.

Members of the state House of Assembly were split into two groups as a result of the crisis. While 27 lawmakers opposed the governor, four members collaborated with him. The speaker was backed by the latter group. Therefore, in order to obtain cash to manage the operations of Rivers State, the governor was unable to submit any appropriation bills to the House.

The state’s governance came to a halt as a result of that significant constitutional deadlock. Even the Supreme Court ruled that Rivers State has no government in one of its rulings in a string of cases brought by the state’s legislative and executive branches against one another. Both sides steadfastly maintained their positions to the detriment of peace and the advancement of the state, therefore my and other well-meaning Nigerians’ attempts to mediate the issue failed.

Therefore, it became painfully obvious that I would have to use the authority granted to me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to declare a state of emergency in order to stop Rivers State’s spiral into chaos. In the first case, elected members of the state House of Assembly, the governor’s and deputy governor’s offices, and other positions were suspended for six months. Today, September 17, 2025, marks the end of the six months.

“I express my gratitude to the National Assembly for swiftly approving the proclamation in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State after carefully considering the arguments for it and acting in accordance with the constitution. I also want to express my gratitude to the excellent people of Riv­ers State and our traditional rulers for their support from the moment the state of emergency was declared until now.

However, Tinubu acknowledged that certain dissident voices had criticized the state’s declaration of emergency, which led to legal impediments.

As a supporter of democratic governance, he asserts that a successful government, whether at the state or federal level, depends on the executive and legislative branches coexisting peacefully and having a positive relationship.

According to him, those who elect politicians to office anticipate enjoying the benefits of democracy. However, in a climate of violence, chaos, and insecurity brought on by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the players, that expectation will stay unattainable.

“I am pleased to report that, based on the information at my disposal, there is a strong desire for a quick return to democratic administration in Rivers State, as well as a fresh spirit of understanding and readiness. Without a question, this is a positive step for me and a noteworthy accomplishment for us. As a result, I fail to see why the state of emergency should last any longer than the six months I declared at the outset.

So, it brings me great pleasure to announce that the emergency in Nigeria’s Rivers State will expire at midnight today. Starting on September 18, 2025, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including the speaker Martins Amaewhule, the governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, and the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, will return to their positions.

“I would like to take this opportunity to remind the governors and Houses of Assembly of every state in our nation that we can only provide the benefits of democracy to our citizens in an environment of peace, order, and good governance. I beg you all to always let this realization guide your behavior.

Fubara is urged to have courage and focus on his assigned mission.

Some Nigerians have responded to the news that President Bola Tinubu has declared an end to emergency rule in Rivers State, which he said was caused by the complete paralysis of the state’s governance.

Former presidential candidate Chief Martin Onovo told the Daily Independent that President Bola Tinubu was to blame for the setback and advised Fubara to focus on the mandate that his people had given him.

“Nigeria’s leadership is the issue. The Tinubu regime’s lawlessness is what led to this predicament. Fubara’s suspension is illegal. It’s against the Constitution. Therefore, more issues begin to surface when you create this type of situation.

“Anyone can experience what happened to him, and it can happen anywhere.” A coup d’etat resulted in the fall of the government.

He was the victim of a coup d’etat. I could experience it. Anyone can experience it.

The law holds that the welfare and security of the populace are the main goals of government. Fubara should do everything in his power to ensure the safety and well-being of the populace if he returns to office.

“He should consider the greatest ways to further his people’s welfare and security when he returns there. He will wait for the next federation account allocation to have some more money, if any remains, and spend it for his people’s welfare, including infrastructure, education, health care, and other things.

The six months of emerging rule have caused unemployment, poverty, and other social vices in Rivers State, according to Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress.

He stated that Governor Fubara should be supported and encouraged to continue carrying out the responsibility and mandate that the people have given him.

Speaking on Arise TV, Okaba said that River State’s six months of emergency rule, which ran from March 18 to September 18, 2025, had in fact caused enormous losses in a number of different industries. The economy, social services, and democratic consolidation are all impacted by these losses, as are governance and democratic representation in the short and long terms.

First of all, we had a dictatorship in place, represented by the so-called appointed, after the governor, deputy governor, and legislature were suspended. This deprives the people of River State of elected representation. The administration was centralized. Decisions were taken from one table without any legislative participation, and as a result, there was no public accountability.

And the fundamental tenet of democracy—government of, by, and for the people—has been undermined by all of this. As can be observed, local autonomy was further compromised because, in addition to the one administrator selected at the state level, local governments also had administrators—that is, administrators in each of the 25 local government areas—which in and of itself degraded accountability and grassroots democracy. Indeed, elections for local government were held in August 2025. The accusations of bias against the one person who won the 25 local government districts were evident to all of us. The impression of political capture has also been made worse by this. We discussed these topics both prior to and during the declaration.

When it came to investment, there was a certain amount of indifference, as seen by the extremely low level of economic activity. According to several estimates, the uncertainty resulted in low patronage for businesspeople and investors. There are currently two significant projects in progress.

Speaking about the Trans-Kalabari Initiative, Ring Road, and the N195 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road project. All of these were put on hold, and the result for us is deteriorating development and increased transportation hardship. Approximately 10,000 jobs were lost due to political interference.

“Offices were cleared of employees, which led to hardship and a rise in unemployment.” The Garden City was the previous name for Port Harcourt. The entire Port Harcourt environment was strewn with various types of waste during this time, which actually deteriorated the social services due to improper sanitation practices.

Malachy Ugwumadu, the former president of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), criticized Fubara for lacking decisiveness, which he claimed made his issue worse.

“Fubara has the advantage of this experience,” he stated. He should be aware that when you need to be extremely determined and definite, it doesn’t pay to be indecisive. Because he put himself in a really bad condition that makes him extremely weak in this way.

And, regrettably for him, history has and will continue to record him as such. Second, as a nation, we need to figure out how to make sure that no one individual, no matter how strong, is able to dominate the flow of power. The white man who came up with the idea of democracy did so with the knowledge that people tend to abuse their power. It’s possible that Rivers State has experienced yet another wave of weakness. who, in addition to demonizing their own political party, actively opposed it in favor of another party because they were unable to find what they were seeking.

Political actors need to realize that peace in Rivers State cannot be negotiated, according to Femi Lawson, Executive Director of the Center for Public Accountability.

“Political actors in Rivers State must have learned that peace is ultimately non-negotiable,” he stated. Peace is required, but more significantly, the interests of the people of Rivers State must come before the political interests of those who declared a state of emergency. Even though there is still disagreement regarding the president’s action’s validity, they must take every precaution to prevent what has occurred in Rivers State, as well as in other federation states. The restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State is a positive development.

“Fubara should not concentrate on identifying his allies or opponents, but rather on his duty to bring Rivers State the benefits of democracy. He ought to concentrate on carrying out the Rivers people’s directive.

“Wike needs to realize that he has served as that state’s governor. Since he is no longer the governor, he should support Fubara and let him carry out his duties as governor of Rivers State without needlessly trying to dictate how the state should be run, even though it is assumed that he is the governor’s political godfather, something that the law is unaware of. While he concentrates on his responsibilities as the FCT’s minister, he ought to let Fubara govern Rivers State. I urge the president to give Mr. Wike a call as well and urge him to concentrate on his responsibilities as a minister and let Fubara handle governance matters.