President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday announced the end of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, declaring that democratic governance will fully return to the state at midnight.

Addressing Nigerians in a nationwide broadcast, the President recalled that the decision to declare a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, became unavoidable due to a paralysis of governance in Rivers State, marked by deep political divisions between the governor and the House of Assembly, vandalism of key economic assets, and an eventual constitutional crisis.

“There was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State. The governor could not present an Appropriation Bill, and even the Supreme Court ruled at some point that there was no government in the state,” Tinubu said. “It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.”

The suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, expires today, paving the way for their return to office on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Tinubu expressed gratitude to the National Assembly for approving the emergency proclamation and to traditional rulers and the people of Rivers for their cooperation during the period. He also acknowledged the legal challenges against the declaration, noting that “this is the way it should be in a democratic setting.”

While stressing the importance of peace and harmony between the executive and legislature, the President said he was encouraged by “a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm” among Rivers stakeholders to return to democratic governance.

He used the occasion to charge governors and state assemblies nationwide to embrace peace and stability, warning that political crises undermine the dividends of democracy.

“The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. That expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity,” Tinubu said.