The Rivers State House of Assembly has resumed plenary sittings following the end of a six-month state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu for the state. The emergency rule, declared on March 18, 2025, suspended both the executive and legislative arms of government after months of political turmoil between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Assembly, alongside heightened insecurity and pipeline vandalism in the oil-rich state.
President Tinubu formally lifted the emergency on September 17, 2025, and directed Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Assembly to return to office effective September 18. During the emergency, retired Navy Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas served as sole administrator of the state, while judicial functions continued uninterrupted.
Plenary sessions have since resumed under the leadership of Speaker Martins Amaewhule. Lawmakers are meeting in a temporary chamber at the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, as their official complex on Moscow Road was razed by fire and later demolished by the state government.
The decision to impose emergency rule in March was one of the most controversial actions of Tinubu’s administration. Critics, including the Nigerian Bar Association and opposition politicians, argued that suspending elected officials violated the Constitution. They insisted that while emergency powers can be exercised under Section 305, they should not nullify democratic mandates.
Supporters of the move, however, described it as a necessary intervention to prevent anarchy, restore security, and protect vital oil infrastructure that fuels both the state and the nation’s economy. They point to recent reconciliation efforts between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, as evidence that the emergency succeeded in cooling political tensions.
With governance now restored, attention has turned to the ability of the Rivers leadership to rebuild trust, resume stalled projects, and navigate the legal challenges still pending in court over the constitutionality of Tinubu’s decision. For many residents, the hope is that stability will return, and the state can move past months of political paralysis.
