STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, ON THE CESSATION OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE

My fellow countrymen, and in particular, the good people of Rivers State,

I address you today on the cessation of the state of emergency in Rivers State.

On 18th March 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in Rivers State. At that time, governance in the State had collapsed. The Governor and the House of Assembly were unable to work together; critical economic assets, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised; and the House of Assembly was divided, with four members supporting the Governor while 27 backed the Speaker. This impasse made it impossible for the Governor to present an Appropriation Bill or access funds to administer the State. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its rulings, observed that there was effectively no government in Rivers State.

My intervention, and those of other well-meaning Nigerians, failed to resolve the conflict. Faced with a drift towards anarchy, I was left with no option but to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to declare a state of emergency. Accordingly, the offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and the House of Assembly were suspended for six months. That period expires today, 17th September 2025.

I thank the National Assembly for approving the proclamation in the interest of peace and order. I equally thank our traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State for their support during this difficult period. While I acknowledge that some citizens challenged the proclamation in court, that is the beauty of democracy. What must be remembered is that a state of emergency is a constitutional safeguard, to be applied only when public order and safety are gravely threatened—as they were in Rivers State.

Today, I am encouraged by the intelligence available to me, which shows a new spirit of reconciliation, readiness, and enthusiasm among all stakeholders in Rivers State for the immediate restoration of democratic governance. It is therefore unnecessary for the emergency to continue a day longer than initially prescribed.

Accordingly, I hereby declare that the state of emergency in Rivers State shall end at midnight today. From 18th September 2025, His Excellency Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and Speaker Martins Amaewhule, alongside members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, will resume their constitutional duties.

As I close, I remind all Governors and State Assemblies across the Federation that peace, order, and good governance are the only conditions under which we can deliver the dividends of democracy. Let this truth guide your actions always.

I thank you all.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.