JUST IN: Fubara Lands in Port Harcourt After 24 Hours of Tension, Speculation

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, returned to Port Harcourt on Friday, ending a six-month absence following the lifting of emergency rule in the state. The governor’s flight touched down at the Port Harcourt International Airport at about 11:50 a.m., where a large crowd of supporters had gathered at the VIP wing to welcome him.

Fubara’s return comes just days after President Bola Tinubu formally ended the emergency rule imposed on Rivers on March 18, 2025, in response to a political crisis that split the state’s leadership. During the period, retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas served as sole administrator, overseeing governance and the conduct of local government elections held on August 30. The All Progressives Congress won 20 councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party secured three.

Although the Rivers State House of Assembly resumed sitting on Thursday, the governor did not appear at the Government House, where another large crowd had waited in anticipation. His absence fueled speculation, but his arrival a day later was greeted with excitement among his supporters.

The crisis that led to the emergency rule stemmed from a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The rift, which extended to the state assembly and sharply divided lawmakers, reached its peak before Tinubu’s intervention. A reconciliation effort in June brought Fubara, Wike, and other political actors to the table, signaling an attempt to restore stability.

In a broadcast on Wednesday night, Ibas urged politicians in the state to embrace dialogue and mutual respect as he handed back control. Tinubu, while lifting the emergency rule, maintained that the intervention had prevented the state from sliding into anarchy.

Fubara’s return now places attention on how he will steer the affairs of the state, rebuild trust with stakeholders, and navigate the fragile political terrain that has defined Rivers’ governance in recent months.