Fubara resumes office, sues for peace, unity

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the judiciary to urgently determine the constitutional validity of the emergency rule recently lifted in Rivers State, warning that leaving the matter unresolved would set a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.
  
He said that without a judicial pronouncement, Section 305 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to declare a state of emergency, could be abused to settle political scores.
  
President Bola Tinubu, on September 17, 2025, announced the cessation of emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials. While acknowledging the controversy generated by his proclamation, Tinubu noted that over 40 cases were instituted in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa to challenge the declaration.
  
“That is the way it should be in a democratic setting,” Tinubu added, noting that some of the suits remain pending in court. Falana, however, stressed that the judiciary cannot sidestep its responsibility as it did in earlier cases involving emergency rule.

Meanwhile, Fubara has called on the church and people of the state to remain steadfast in prayers as he begins afresh the journey of governance.
 
The governor, who resumed official duties following the expiration of the six-month emergency rule, said prayers and intercessions have been sources of his strength and will remain critical as he works to fulfil his mandate to the people.

Fubara made the appeal yesterday at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo Town, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Council Area, where he attended a thanksgiving service, which was his first public outing since resumption of duties.
 
The service, part of the “2025 Harvest of Divine Possibilities” Thanksgiving, also doubled as a personal moment of gratitude. The governor explained that his mission was a quiet visit to thank God for His faithfulness toward his family, Rivers State, and Nigeria at large.
 
“I am here together with my wife this first Sunday after the suspension of the state of emergency. We cannot thank God enough as a family. Our being here is private; we came simply to worship in our home church. When my story ends, this Church will lead me to my next journey. So, it is important that I come here to say thank you quietly before the Almighty God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will continue to do, not just for me and my family, but for this state and Nigeria,” he said.

The governor further underscored the importance of peace in fostering unity and development, aligning his remarks with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace.
 
Fubara reaffirmed his rededication to the service of Rivers people, urging continued prayers and support for his administration as it charts a renewed course of leadership.