President Bola Tinubu has formally lifted the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, announcing that normal governance will resume on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
In a statement issued by the Presidency on Wednesday, Tinubu declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will return to their offices.
The state of emergency, first declared on March 18, 2025, followed months of political turmoil that paralyzed governance in the oil-rich state.
A bitter rift between the governor and 27 lawmakers loyal to the speaker had left the state in gridlock, with the Supreme Court even ruling that “there was no government in Rivers State.”
Tinubu said the extraordinary measure was necessary to restore order. “It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today,” the president stated.
The announcement signals a fresh start for Rivers after half a year of federal intervention in its affairs.
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