President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday announced the end of the six-month state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, declaring that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly will resume their duties from September 18, 2025.

Tinubu, in a nationwide address, recalled that he proclaimed the emergency on March 18, 2025, following what he described as a “total paralysis of governance” in the state.

“The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together,” the President said.

He noted that critical assets, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised, while the House of Assembly was sharply divided between four members loyal to the governor and 27 members aligned with the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule. The crisis, he said, prevented the governor from presenting an appropriation bill to the House and stalled governance.

“Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State,” Tinubu added.

He explained that his intervention, and that of other Nigerians, failed to resolve the impasse, compelling him to invoke Section 305 of the Constitution to proclaim the emergency. The move suspended the offices of the governor, deputy governor, and Assembly members for six months.

Tinubu commended the National Assembly for approving the proclamation, and thanked Rivers traditional rulers and citizens for their support during the period. He also acknowledged dissenting voices who challenged the declaration in over 40 court cases across Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa.

“That is the way it should be in a democratic setting,” he said, stressing that the declaration was necessary to avert a breakdown of public order and security.

The President said recent intelligence indicated “a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance.”

“It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today,” he announced.

Tinubu urged governors and state assemblies across the federation to prioritise peace, order, and good governance in order to deliver democratic dividends to Nigerians.