Tinubu ends state of emergency in Rivers, citing restored peace, stability

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu has on Wednesday officially announced the cessation of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, which was declared on March 18, 2025.

The President recalled the circumstances that necessitated the emergency, highlighting a “total paralysis of governance” marked by severe conflicts between the Governor and the State House of Assembly, which threatened the state’s security and economic stability.

The President emphasised that the crisis had escalated to the point where “the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House,” and the Supreme Court had ruled that “there was no government in Rivers State.”

This constitutional impasse caused governance to come to a complete standstill, with critical state assets, including oil pipelines, being vandalised.

To restore order, Tinubu invoked his constitutional powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to suspend the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

He expressed gratitude to the National Assembly for approving the proclamation, as well as to traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support during the emergency period.

Acknowledging dissent and ongoing legal challenges to the declaration, the President stated, “That is the way it should be in a democratic setting.”

He underscored that the emergency was a constitutional tool intended to address “actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety” and insisted that failing to act would have been a “colossal failure.”

In closing, Tinubu stressed the importance of cooperation between the executive and legislature for effective governance, noting, “The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy.

“However, that expectation will remain unrealisable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity.”