Fubara, Others Resume Office Today As Tinubu Lifts Emergency Rule
Democratic governance will return to Rivers State today, Thursday, September 18, 2025, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara resuming office, alongside his Deputy, Dame Ngozi Nma Ordu, as well as members of the state legislature as the six-month emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu ends.
Democratic governance in Rivers State was disrupted on March 18, 2025, when the President imposed a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, suspending the Governor, his Deputy and the 32-member State House of Assembly from office.
With the expiration of the emergency rule by mid-night of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, President Bola Tinubu lifted the state of emergency, announcing that democratic governance will fully resume in the state from today.
In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, the President said the decision to end the emergency rule followed “a groundswell of new understanding” among political actors in the state.
Tinubu said the suspension of democratic institutions had been necessary to prevent “a drift towards anarchy” amid legislative paralysis and attacks on vital oil infrastructure. He added that intelligence reports now indicated “robust readiness” for democratic order to return.
The President acknowledged the over 40 lawsuits that followed his proclamation but argued that it was unavoidable given a Supreme Court judgment that governance had collapsed in the state. He commended the National Assembly, traditional rulers, and residents of Rivers for their cooperation during the emergency.
