ABUJA, Nigeria (BN240 — Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday lifted emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstated the suspended governor and lawmakers after six months of direct federal control, ending a turbulent period marked by political infighting and unrest in the oil-rich region.
Tinubu declared emergency rule last year after a political crisis escalated between Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers. Some legislators had sought to impeach Fubara, accusing him of illegally presenting the state budget and altering the composition of the legislature, charges the governor has consistently denied.
The president said the extraordinary measure was necessary to “arrest the drift toward anarchy in Rivers State.” In a statement, Tinubu called the end of emergency rule a milestone, adding: “This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.”
During the suspension, the state was administered by retired Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, who oversaw governance under federal emergency powers. Tinubu said the decision to return power to elected officials reflected his administration’s commitment to stability and constitutional order.
Rivers State, one of Nigeria’s most important oil-producing regions, has long been a flashpoint for political and economic unrest. Militant groups have frequently targeted oil pipelines in the Niger Delta, disrupting production and fueling instability.
Nigeria’s constitution permits the imposition of emergency rule in rare situations to preserve law and order. The last time the measure was invoked before Rivers State was in 2013, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan declared emergencies in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states during the Boko Haram insurgency, though those state governors remained in office.
With Wednesday’s move, Tinubu said the government was signaling its confidence that Rivers State had returned to “peace, normalcy, and democratic process.”
