Tinubu lift emergency rule in Rivers

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday lifted a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, reinstating Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other officials, after saying that a constitutional crisis that had paralysed governance had been resolved. The emergency rule, imposed on March 18, followed a standoff between Fubara and the state legislature that disrupted budget approvals and left the government in limbo. Tinubu said the measure was necessary to prevent anarchy. Rivers State, located in the oil-producing Niger Delta, is an important hub for Nigeria’s crude exports. Militants have previously targeted pipelines in the region, affecting output and revenue. Tinubu said intelligence reports showed a “groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among political stakeholders, paving the way for a return to democratic governance. The governor, his deputy, and the 31-member House of Assembly are expected to resume duties on September 18.
The emergency declaration triggered more than 40 legal challenges in courts across Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa. Tinubu defended the move as a constitutional tool to restore order, saying dissent was part of democratic practice.
Reacting to this development, the President of the pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, Prof Godknows Igali said the six months was the darkest part of Rivers state political history, adding that “it is a time for sober-reflection”.Igali said there was nothing to celebrate about the return of Governor Fubara and other democratic institutions in the state, noting that “we all learn from the dark six months of emergency rule. There is nothing to celebrate. “For six months an administrator was appointed who behaved like a military man. My advice to the governor is that he should settle down and do his job. The people of Rivers state have lost a lot in this past six months, so there is so much for him to do”. But speaking differently, the President of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba called on the indigenes of the state as well as residents to roll out drums and celebrate the return of governor Fubara to government house. Prof Okaba said though he was not expecting the federal government to celebrate the governor’s return the same way he was celebrated during his suspension by those who wanted him demoted, there is a need to celebrate his return.
“I was not expecting Fubara’s return to be with pomp and pageantry the same way they demoted him. If they had their way, they would have even extended the suspension to 2027. That was their initial plan. But because of sustained pressure by Nigerians, they could not. Rivers people should rejoice that their governor is back. Both the indigenes and the residents should roll out drums and celebrate. The governor is back to correct whatever went wrong in his absent in terms of projects delivery, the sanitation of the city and many more”.
Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Ogbonna Nwuke believes that all the projects that Fubara started before he was thrown out of office, will be revisited and completed for the good of Rivers people.
 “Our expectation is that going forward, we will have a united real estate on the basis of the best norms of good governance. Our expectation is that all of those projects that made the FUBRA government very progressive, months before it was thrown out on suspension, will be revisited quickly. All those projects are tied to the future development of Rivers State.
Above all, we expect that the legislature and the executive will collaborate and that their collaboration will bring about good governance as well. Above all, the expectations of the Rivers people who have prayed for their return, who have fought for their return, will be satisfied in the days to come”, he said.