Fubara Returns To P’Harcourt, Nearly 48 Hours After Emergency Rule Ended
Almost 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu officially lifted the state of emergency in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara touched down at Port Harcourt International Airport at about 12:19 PM on Friday.
He was welcomed by a large crowd of supporters who had gathered at the VIP wing, expecting his return.
The arrival marked a pivotal moment in the state’s political crisis which had frozen the state’s governance and legislative processes.
The emergency rule, which had been in force since March 18, 2025, was declared by Tinubu in response to what was described as a “total paralysis of governance” in Rivers State.
The crisis stemmed from a bitter conflict between Governor Fubara and his own State House of Assembly, where 27 out of 31 lawmakers aligned with Speaker Martins Amaewhule opposed the governor.
This split made it impossible for the state to pass appropriation bills and effectively left the executive and legislature at an impasse.
During the period of emergency rule, Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended.
The President appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator to run state affairs. The judiciary, however, continued to function.
On September 17, 2025, Tinubu announced that the emergency rule would be officially lifted at midnight, declaring that democratic governance in Rivers State would resume from September 18.
In his address, he pointed to renewed cooperation among political stakeholders, improved intelligence of reconciliation, and the urgent necessity to return to lawful constitutional order.
Despite the announcement, when many had expected Fubara to formally return to Government House on Thursday, September 18, he did not make a public appearance there.
By 5:00 PM, a crowd that had assembled around the Government House had dispersed in disappointment.
There was no official explanation given immediately for his absence.
Then, on Friday, he arrived at Port Harcourt airport, greeted by former commissioners, ex-council chairmen, and thousands of his supporters who had relocated to the airport in expectation.
This arrival appears to reconcile the delay and confirms that the governor is back to resume his constitutional duties.
