After six turbulent months of emergency rule, Rivers State is bracing for a political reset as Governor Siminalayi Fubara is set to be reinstated on Thursday, September 18, by President Bola Tinubu.
The development comes at a time of heightened political mood, as both Tinubu and Fubara are expected back in the country on Tuesday, September 16.
The President returns to Abuja from a foreign trip, while Fubara makes his much-anticipated comeback from London, setting the stage for the formal restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria’s oil-rich state.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), appointed sole administrator after emergency rule was declared on March 18, has already commenced the handover process. On Sunday, Ibas led a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt to mark the transition and is expected to host a public lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance” at Government House on Tuesday, with dignitaries and political stakeholders invited.
Emergency rule was imposed after months of bitter political conflict between Fubara and his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, which climaxed with the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex in December 2023. The crisis paralysed governance and forced Tinubu to impose direct federal control through Ibas.
Observers say the end of emergency rule and Fubara’s reinstatement could mark a new chapter in Rivers politics, but warn that sustaining peace will be the ultimate test after one of the most bruising power struggles in the state’s history.
