Why It Took Fubara More Than 24 Hours To Resume Office After Emergency Rule
Facts have emerged why reinstated governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, failed to resume office on Thursday, September 18, 2025, after President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month emergency rule he had imposed on the state.
Sources close to the Rivers State two prominent gladiators, the Governor and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, revealed that that the duo were locked in a bitter, disagreement over power sharing arrangement under the current dispensation.
It was gathered that Fubara had flatly rejected proposal by Wike to nominate about 10 of the state’s 17 Commissioners, as well as the Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff to the Governor, resulting in their meeting dragging late into Thursday night.
Recall that expectant and jubilant Rivers people had swarmed Government House, Port Harcourt , very early on Thursday morning, to welcome their returning suspended Governor, but he failed to show up.
Reliable sources hinted that but for the prompt intervention of President Tinubu, Rivers State would have relapsed into another round of political crisis.
The sources revealed that the President’s intervention doused the tension generated by the sharp disagreement between the duo over political appointments.
On Thursday, the two men were locked in a dispute over nominations for commissioners, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and the Chief of Staff (CoS).
According to a report by The Southern Examiner, Wike insisted on nominating at least 10 commissioners as well as the SSG and CoS, a demand Governor Fubara rejected, describing it as unjust and unfair.
The Governor questioned why his predecessor should also control the chairmen and councillors of the 23 local government councils, the state legislature, more than 17 boards and parastatals, and the 11 recently appointed permanent secretaries in the state civil service.
The disagreement became so intense on Thursday evening that President Tinubu was forced to intervene. He reportedly ruled in favour of Governor Fubara and admonished both leaders to ensure peace in the state, warning that they would be held responsible for any further breakdown of law and order.
Sources told The Southern Examiner that the peace parley was the reason Governor Fubara’s scheduled return to Port Harcourt after six months of emergency rule was delayed.
During a two-hour television interview on Thursday, Wike appeared to confirm the fresh dispute but insisted he had given Fubara a free hand to govern. He told his interviewer: “I’m not imposing any person on the governor. I have given him the free hand to run his government.”
By Friday morning, Governor Fubara touched down at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, on a chartered flight from Abuja. He was received by a jubilant crowd that included his former commissioners, council chairmen elected in October 2024, and other Rivers residents. Celebrations spread across the state as traders, students, civil servants, and market women rejoiced at his return, praising God for what they described as a restoration of their elected governor.
In a 15-minute statewide broadcast on Friday evening, Fubara recounted the events leading to the state of emergency and appealed to Rivers residents to unite in rebuilding the oil-rich state. He praised President Tinubu for his decisive intervention, describing it as the turning point in restoring democratic governance.
“We believe the political crisis is now behind us and that peace and stability have once again returned to Rivers State, though not without the hard lessons learnt from the emergency rule,” the governor said. “The responsibility now rests squarely on us—the Government, the State House of Assembly, political leaders, and stakeholders—to put aside our differences, work for the common good, and advance the interests of our people above all else.”
Fubara described his six months under emergency rule as deeply challenging, saying the political crisis aborted democracy in the state. He recalled resisting pressure to challenge the legality of the emergency declaration because he believed no sacrifice was too great to secure peace.
“As your governor, I accepted to abide by the state of emergency declaration and chose to cooperate with Mr. President and the National Assembly, guided by my conviction that no sacrifice is too great to secure peace, stability, and progress of Rivers State,” he explained. “This was why I also resisted the pressure to challenge the constitutionality of the declaration of a state of emergency, the suspension of democratic institutions, and all other actions that we endured during this difficult period.”
Addressing fears about the durability of the peace process, the governor assured residents that nothing had been irretrievably lost and urged inclusiveness and reconciliation. Quoting an old maxim, he said: “The costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war.”
He called for a fresh beginning, urging all stakeholders to embrace unity and renewed hope. “Let us work together with determination to build a stronger, more peaceful, and prosperous Rivers State. I assure you that we will continuously work towards ensuring that we carry everyone along.”
Although flanked by both the national and PDP flags during his address, Governor Fubara notably omitted his party, the PDP, from his roll call of acknowledgments. He thanked President Tinubu, Wike, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, lawmakers, religious and traditional leaders, civil society groups, and Rivers people for their resilience, courage, and patience throughout the crisis.
