President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the end of the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, effective from midnight today, September 17, 2025.

Click Here to Join Our Whatsapp Channel

The President, in a national broadcast on Wednesday, explained that the emergency rule, declared on March 18, 2025, became necessary following a complete breakdown of governance in the state. According to him, the deep rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly had crippled governance, leaving the state in political and economic paralysis.

Tinubu recalled that the House of Assembly was sharply divided, with 27 members backing the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, while only four stood with the Governor. This, he noted, prevented the presentation and passage of the Appropriation Bill, effectively shutting down the state government.

“The Supreme Court itself, in one of its judgments, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions,” Tinubu said.

The President stated that invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to proclaim emergency rule was a difficult but necessary decision to save the state from drifting into anarchy. During the period, the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected lawmakers were suspended.

While acknowledging dissenting voices and numerous legal challenges filed against the proclamation, Tinubu stressed that the measure was constitutional and aimed at restoring peace and order.

Expressing satisfaction with the current state of affairs, Tinubu said intelligence reports indicated a renewed commitment by all stakeholders to return to democratic governance.

“With effect from midnight today, the emergency in Rivers State shall end. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from September 18, 2025,” he declared.

The President also urged other governors and lawmakers across the country to learn from the Rivers crisis and prioritize peace and harmony in order to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he concluded.