Rivers: Hopes, mixed views as emergency ends tomorrow

By Clifford Ndujihe, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Daniel Abia, John Alechenu & Luminous Jannamike

LAGOS — One day to the end of emergency rule in Rivers State, the polity is awash with expectations.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, are expected to return to their seats tomorrow, if President Bola Tinubu, who cut his 10-day vacation abroad to return to Nigeria yesterday, did not extend the rule.

So far, all appears to be set for the termination of the emergency rule and the reinstatement of elected officials.

Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, retd, who has tidied up his handover note, and held a church thanksgiving service, last Sunday, has called on people of the state to nurture the existing peace built by his administration in the past six months.

Speaking at a public lecture, entitled “Good Governance and Democratic Dividends,” Ibas said yesterday that Thanksgiving last Sunday was significant. They reminded the people that without God and the resilience of the people, “this journey of my administration would have been impossible.

“This public lecture is more than an intellectual exercise. It is, in truth, a covenant renewal with the people of Rivers.”

Ibas said: “As a nation, our democracy must deliver and governance must always be rooted in service. Standing before you, we feel with gratitude and humility, gratitude for the support you gave me as your administrator and humility that I was called to serve in such a defining moment in the history of this great state.

“When we began this assignment on March 18, 2025, our core mandate was to restore peace and stability. By the grace of God and with the cooperation of all stakeholders, we have come this far. Most significantly was the peacefully conducted local government elections restoring democratic governance to the grassroots, the level of government closest to the people.”

‘Emergency rule necessary’

According to him, the emergency rule was never a choice. “It was a necessity brought upon us by insecurity, political impasse and breakdown of trust. Yet, in hindsight it offered us enduring lessons that peace is priceless, without security, another aspiration is possible, that when governance is weakened, opportunism fills the vacuum, endangering lives and livelihoods and that the indomitable spirit of Rivers people cannot be broken. They endured, they persevered and have remained steadfast.

“The stability we have restored is the foundation upon which democracy is now rebuilt. Our guest speaker has done justice to the theme of the lecture, good governance and democratic dividends. My role here is to offer my sincere gratitude to my dear people of Rivers for all that we have worked hard together to achieve in the last six months.”

He expressed gratitude to the people of the state for the support which “has been most humbling and I will remain eternally grateful to you all. I plead with you to re-dedicate yourselves to our collective destiny, one ordained by God.”

The keynote Speaker, Prof Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, harped on the sustenance of democracy in the country.

Mixed reactions trail emergency rule

As the emergency rule ends, mixed reactions continue to trail the declaration.

Civil society groups and opposition political parties, yesterday, expressed mixed feelings over the state of democracy in Rivers State following the rule, and suspension of democratic structures.

President Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in the state in the wake of a prolonged political crisis between the immediate past governor and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and his anointed successor, Fubara.

Rivers elders sue for unity, collaboration

To ensure peace and progress of the state, the Rivers State Elders Council, RSEC, yesterday, urged residents and leaders of the state to unite.

In a statement by the chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, the elders said the expected restoration of democracy “affords us an opportunity to reflect on a number of issues: Where we are coming from, what to do to avoid recurrence of the unfortunate circumstances we found ourselves and significantly, how to sustain peace, unity and development in our beloved Rivers State.

“For us as leaders and members of the Rivers State Elders Council, we wish to state and appeal as follows: We urge all stakeholders, without exception, to embrace the peace and reconciliation that has now returned to our dear state.

“We also admonish the few individuals and people who are still fanning embers of discord to come to terms with the fact that the crisis is over and stop making inflammatory statements, inciting rhetoric in the media and whipping up sentiments for their selfish interests.

‘’They should prioritise the interest of the state and allow Governor Fubara and the House of Assembly to work together without further distractions.”

PDP warns Fubara against defection, demands probe of six-month interim rule

Also yesterday, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urged Fubara to stay loyal to the party, reject moves by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to woo him, and investigate how Rivers State was run during the six months he was suspended under emergency rule.

In separate interviews with Vanguard, PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser, Barrister Okechukwu Osuoha, and PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said Fubara’s return must be marked by accountability, loyalty to the PDP, and efforts to restore peace and stability to the oil-rich state.

Osuoha explained that Fubara’s suspension was constitutionally tied to a state of emergency declared by the President to prevent a total breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.

“The issue is that there was an emergency declaration by the President, constitutionally, which is allowed

“He has to come back to office because the suspension was for six months, and there has been no extension.

Therefore, he must return and assume his role as executive governor of Rivers State,” Osuoha stated. The PDP legal adviser acknowledged controversies surrounding the legality of suspending an elected governor under emergency rule but stressed that Fubara’s return should usher in reconciliation and development.

“Every Nigerian expects a cordial relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of Rivers State, between the governor and the House of Assembly.

“Let there also be a good relationship between him and his godfather, whoever made it possible for him to secure that position. There must be peace and unity in the state so that development can take place because Rivers has suffered a lot,’’ he said.

Osuoha also called on Fubara to actively participate in party activities, stressing that in Nigeria’s political system, no candidate operates independently of a political party.

“He is still a member of the PDP and should participate fully in party affairs. Party is supreme. If you have any problem, the party will come to your rescue and support you. I want to see him participating fully in PDP so Nigerians will know he belongs to the party,” he advised.

On his part, Osadolor issued a sterner warning, urging Fubara to resist pressure to defect to the APC and instead focus on holding accountable those who oversaw Rivers State during the emergency period.

“The Rivers people will heave a sigh of relief that the illegality wrought upon them will finally be addressed. The only thing I ask of the governor is that he should not fall for voices calling for political correctness in the name of peace.

‘’There is no peace without justice. The onus lies on him to thoroughly interrogate these six months that Admiral Ibas spent in office, appropriating the resources of Rivers people for whatever interests he might have allegedly served,’’ Osadolor said.

He insisted that the administrator must face justice if wrongdoing was uncovered, pointing out that Ibas was never elected by the people and did not have constitutional immunity.

“Whenever wrongdoing is found, the governor should not hesitate to make him face the full weight of the law.

“The last time I checked, he was never elected by the Rivers people, and yet he presided over their resources and taxpayers’ money, while Governor Fubara, who was duly elected, was suspended,” Osadolor declared.

Fubara returning a conquered man — CUPP

National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, Chief Peter Ameh, told Vanguard in an interview, in Abuja, yesterday, that he didn’t expect much from Governor Fubara on his return because the governor “will be returning to office a conquered man.”

Ameh, who is also a chieftain of Labour Party, LP, said: “The governor, unfortunately, has surrendered to federal might. He can now concentrate on his daily chores of paying contractors, workers salaries and signing checks.

“It is a sad commentary on what democracy should be. He is now surrounded by persons within and outside his cabinet whose allegiance is only to Wike and the Abuja cabal. What has happened is that democracy has been given a bloody nose.

‘’All institutions of the federal government were deployed to cow the people of River State into submission.

“How else can anyone explain the illegality perpetuated in the name of local government elections under the watch of the military ruler of that state within the period? Unless the people rise and insist that the right things are done and that their votes in upcoming elections truly count, I’m afraid nothing will change.”

Rivers people are the victims — Okorie

Speaking in a similar vein, the founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said: “The victims of this whole crisis are the people of Rivers State. I see governance suffering because this governor gave up virtually everything during the course of negotiations.

“At least for the next six months, he will be ready to do anything Wike and the President ask him to do, even if it will not benefit Rivers people. “Throughout this whole issue, Governor Fubara did not assert himself as a governor elected by the people of Rivers State to represent them.

“Can you compare him with President Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State? Tinubu stood up to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general. He knew he enjoyed immunity and reached out to people, he not only survived Obasanjo, he thrived.

“May be Fubara will develop some muscle when the elections draw near and there is nothing left to lose. I see him moving into another party, perhaps, to make friends and leave a legacy to be remembered for.”

Emergency rule unnecessary

A public affairs commentator, Israel Edache, argued that the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers at a time there was no unrest or serious threat to peace was a sad reminder that ‘godfathers’ will remain a huge burden on our democracy.”

His words: “The emergency rule was declared because a godfather was angry that the political structure was being taken away from him. He elicited the support of the President to send a message. It is unfortunate that our politicians have learned very little, if anything, from our collective history as a nation.

“Do we expect any serious improvement in the condition of living of Rivers State people with Fubara’s return? I doubt it very much. I will be glad if he proves me wrong at the end of the day. Only God knows what became of the case filed by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, against the emergency rule.”

Raging controversy

Indeed, critics described the declaration along with the suspension of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Odu, and the entire State House of Assembly as a breach of the 1999 Constitution.

The 1999 Constitution as amended in Section 305 provides that the President may declare a state of emergency under certain conditions: war or invasion, breakdown of public order and safety, natural disasters, or other public danger that threatens the federation.

It also demands procedural safeguards, providing that once proclaimed, the declaration must be transmitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House; National Assembly approval is required within two days if in session, or 10 days after reconvening, if not.

The Constitution requires approval by two-thirds majority of senators and members of the House of Representatives in each chamber to validate the president’s declaration of emergency rule.

However, the lawmakers used voice vote, instead of recorded votes, which drew criticisms then.

Critics also argued that while Tinubu invoked Section 305, none of the constitutional conditions justified removing elected officials or suspending legislative functions. Those powers are separate and require specific constitutional processes, such as impeachment under Section 188, or other lawful mechanisms.

Tinubu back from vacation

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu last night returned to Abuja from his working vacation.

Recall that the President departed for France on September 4, 2025, to spend part of his annual holiday and was initially scheduled to divide the period between France and the United Kingdom.

A statement before his departure for the vacation had stated that “the vacation will last 10 working days.”

However, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Monday in a statement, said President Tinubu had concluded his work vacation, ahead of schedule and will return to Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to resume official duties.

The statement read: “Last week in Paris, President Tinubu held a private luncheon with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée Palace.

“Both leaders reviewed key areas of cooperation between Nigeria and France and agreed to deepen the partnership for mutual prosperity and global stability.”

Although no reason was advanced for the President’s decision to cut short his vacation, Vanguard gathered that his early return may be connection with the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State, which expires tomorrow, as he is expected to make a proclamation ending the emergency rule.

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