As Gov. Fubara resumes today

Over the weekend, Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, started wrapping up his controversial assignment. This was a clear indication that the six-month suspension clamped on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and all democratic structures in the State would not be extended. The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, issued a statement affirming this.

President Bola Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, made a national broadcast, imposing the emergency rule in response to the political impasse between Governor Fubara and his supporters on one side, and the Martin Amaewhule-led majority members of the State House of Assembly backed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on the other.

Many Nigerians saw that emergency rule as a political overreach that could have been better resolved within the true spirit of the 1999 Constitution. We are delighted that this sordid story is coming with a happy ending. We commend the president for not extending the measure, as that would have inflicted further injuries on our constitutional democracy and continued to deprive the Rivers people of their right to be governed by those they voted for.

The most important thing is that the complex negotiations that took place during this intervening period appear to have yielded fruits. Nigerians will soon be able to see to what extent this is true. The taste of the pudding is in the eating.

As Governor Fubara resumes today, all parties to the political crisis and their backers should learn from this experience. The main cause of the crisis was that the Governor and his sponsor to that office, Wike, disagreed and went on to fight dirty. The State House of Assembly was polarised, with the Amaewhule-led majority siding with Wike, while Edison Ehie’s minority faction worked with Fubara.

In the ensuing confusion, the state’s legislative chamber was razed and demolished, and the resulting state-wide violence claimed lives.

We hope all parties will be faithful to the pacts reached. We call on Minister Wike to henceforth face his assignment in Abuja and allow Fubara a free hand to function. He is already doing a good job in Abuja, which gives him a pride of place in the Tinubu administration. After governing Rivers State for eight years, he should act as a father, not godfather.

On the other hand, Governor Fubara must give Wike, like other former governors of the state, his due. More importantly, he must go the extra mile and work harmoniously with a united legislative branch. He must also give them their freehand and obey the Constitution.

What matters the most are peace, unity, development and full democratic restoration, especially as we prepare for the 2027 political season. All’s well that ends well.

Welcome back, Governor Fubara!

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