AS September 18 approaches, marking the end of the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, attention has shifted to Government House in Port Harcourt, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was suspended in March, is set to reclaim his mandate as the democratically elected leader of the state.
A sign of the end of the State of Emergency rule was announced by Fubara’s predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who boasted on Saturday, August 30, that it would expire on September 18.
Wike said he was optimistic that with the conduct of the Rivers State Local Government elections, the end of emergency rule in the coastal state was imminent.
What is clear is that the sole administrator, Ibok-Ette Ekwe Ibas, a retired vice admiral, who has piloted the state since President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, is preparing to bow out.
In preparation for his exit, an interdenominational thanksgiving service was held in the state last Sunday to mark the end of his tenure.
Fubara’s suspension
Tinubu forced Fubara out of office on March 18, 2025, following prolonged crisis between the governor and 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike. The same rift had also escalated between the governor and Wike.
Tinubu justified the emergency rule by citing insecurity and a breakdown of governance. He suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the entire House of Assembly. He then installed Ibas as the sole administrator of the state.
The decision, defended under Section 305 of the Constitution, sparked outrage from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society groups, and concerned Nigerians who described it unconstitutional. But to Tinubu and his supporters, it was the best decision taken to save the state.
Ibas’ six-month tenure
Ibas began his six-month tenure with sweeping removal of all political appointees, and the appointment of local government administrators.
He led the conduct of election of officials into the 23 LGAs of the state. Wike’s allies swept the poll, leaving Fubara’s camp completely shut out.
Ibas said he fulfilled his mandate. He pointed at the ‘peaceful’ LGA polls, new projects that include the rehabilitation of Diete-Spiff Secretariat and revival of the Songhai Farm as some of his achievements.
He also listed N5 billion he allegedly saved from civil service verification exercise as part of his success, adding that the state’s civil servants would remember him as the most worker-friendly leader.
Gains and losses of the emergency rule
Supporters of the emergency rule said it brought peace to the state and averted chaos, while those opposed to it said it denied them the governance they expected from those they elected.
Obinna Ebogidi of the Rivers Peace Initiative described it as a bridge rather than a destination.
For Enefa Georgewill of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisation, the regime amounted to “a quasi-military rule that strangled democracy.”
Law and emergency rule debate
Nigerians remain split over the emergency rule. APC chieftain Okoi Obono-Obla said the emergency rule was necessary, giving Fubara “time to reflect and return with humility.”
Justice Osai Ahiakwo, a lawyer and cleric, called it an “abuse of constitutional power” akin to a political coup.
For Fubara, even if he reclaims the Brick House, he must work with a legislature that once sought to impeach him and work with the LGA leaders fully in Wike’s hands.
Nigerians expect all stakeholders in the state to work in harmony after Tinubu brokered truce between Wike and Fubara.
Since the president met both leaders at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, their supporters have sheathed their swords. Fubara and Wike were also seen attending an event together shortly after the meeting.
All eye on Tinubu
Though no official announcement of Fubara’s return has been made yet, Nigerians are expecting Tinubu to announce and end to the emergency rule and return Fubara as the democratically elected leader of the state.
September 18 will not just mark the end of emergency rule; it will begin the next chapter of Rivers’ political life that observers believe requires a balancing act between reconciliation, power, and the people’s expectations.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance