Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, are set to return to office today, following the end of the six-month emergency rule imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
Crowds of supporters gathered at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday morning to welcome the governor and his deputy back to power. Officials of the state emergency services were also on ground.
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, amid a political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The crisis also divided the state House of Assembly, prompting Tinubu to appoint retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator of the state.
In a state broadcast on Wednesday night, Ibas formally handed over power, urging political actors in Rivers to embrace dialogue and mutual respect.
During his tenure, Ibas oversaw controversial local government elections on August 30, in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 20 councils while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured three.
Tinubu, while announcing the end of emergency rule, said the measure was necessary to prevent anarchy in the oil-rich state.
