President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State, declaring that democratic governance would resume in the oil-rich state from Thursday, September 18, 2025.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Wednesday September 17, 2025, Tinubu said the six-month emergency rule he declared on March 18, 2025, had achieved its purpose of restoring peace and order in the state after months of political paralysis and violent confrontations between the executive and legislature.
“The emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from September 18, 2025”, Tinubu declared.
The President explained that the drastic step was taken earlier in the year after the collapse of governance in the state, which saw the governor and assembly locked in a protracted standoff, leaving the state without a working budget and pushing critical sectors to the brink.
According to him, vandalism of vital oil pipelines, factional divisions in the House of Assembly, and the inability of both arms of government to reconcile made it “painfully inevitable” for him to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to impose emergency rule.
Tinubu commended the National Assembly for promptly approving the proclamation, traditional rulers for their support, and the people of Rivers for their resilience during the suspension of democratic structures.
While acknowledging dissenting voices and over 40 legal challenges to his action, the President defended the measure as a constitutional safeguard against a total breakdown of law and order.
“I believe the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level. The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy, which cannot thrive in an atmosphere of anarchy and insecurity, ” he said. “
Expressing satisfaction with what he described as a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among Rivers political actors, Tinubu said he saw no reason to extend the state of emergency beyond its initial six months.
He used the occasion to caution governors and lawmakers across the country to always prioritise peace and good governance, stressing that democracy can only thrive in an atmosphere of order.
“Let this realisation drive your actions at all times,” he urged.
The lifting of the emergency clears the way for Governor Fubara and the embattled House of Assembly to resume their constitutional roles after months of political uncertainty.
