President Bola Tinubu has announced the suspension of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, declaring an immediate return to democratic governance.

In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, the President explained that intelligence reports revealed “a new spirit of understanding, robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm” among stakeholders in Rivers for peace and progress.

Tinubu described the development as both a welcome relief and a major achievement for Nigeria.

“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. It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, Speaker Martins Amaewhule, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly will resume office from 18 September 2025,” he said.

He recalled that the intervention became necessary after a “total paralysis of governance” in Rivers, which left the governor and the House of Assembly unable to work together. The crisis, he said, also affected critical economic assets such as oil pipelines that were being vandalised.

According to him, repeated efforts by himself and other well-meaning Nigerians to mediate proved futile, as both sides remained entrenched.

“The House of Assembly was split into two factions: four members aligned with the governor while 27 members supported the Speaker. Consequently, the governor could not present any Appropriation Bill, leaving him unable to access funds to run the state. This constitutional impasse brought governance to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its rulings on the matter, held that there was no government in Rivers State,” Tinubu stated.

He explained that the gravity of the situation left him no choice but to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to proclaim emergency rule. Under that proclamation, the governor, deputy governor, and Assembly members were suspended for six months, which expired on 17 September 2025.

The President commended the National Assembly for promptly approving the proclamation, and thanked traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support. He also acknowledged dissenting voices, noting that more than 40 court cases were filed in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa challenging the decision.

“That is the way it should be in a democracy. Some cases remain pending, but what must be emphasised is that the power to declare a state of emergency is a constitutional safeguard to restore peace and public order when governance collapses. Given the Supreme Court’s judgment confirming the breakdown, it would have been a colossal failure not to act,” Tinubu said.

He stressed that a harmonious relationship between the executive and legislature remains vital for democracy to succeed.

“The people who voted us into power expect to reap the dividends of democracy. That expectation cannot be realised in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity fuelled by political manipulation,” he added.