JUST IN: Jubilation in Port Harcourt as Fubara Returns to Office

Rivers State erupted in celebration on Thursday as Governor Siminalayi Fubara returned to office following the lifting of the state of emergency. Thousands of residents gathered outside the Government House in Port Harcourt, waving flags, dancing, and beating drums in jubilant welcome of the reinstated governor.

The announcement came after President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday evening suspended the emergency measures that had been imposed on Rivers State in March 2025. The suspension restored Governor Fubara, his deputy Professor Ngozi Odu, and the elected members of the State House of Assembly to their offices.

The state of emergency had been declared amid a prolonged political crisis marked by tensions between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike. The crisis had escalated following the bombing and demolition of the House of Assembly complex in late 2023, disputes over legislative legitimacy, and allegations of widespread pipeline vandalism, leaving governance in the state largely paralysed. A Supreme Court ruling had earlier criticized the governor’s handling of the Assembly matter, describing it as “despotism” and noting the absence of a “functioning government” in Rivers.

During the emergency, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired) was appointed sole administrator to manage state affairs, while judicial institutions remained operational. In his final statewide broadcast, Vice Admiral Ibas urged political actors to maintain the peace and unity fostered during his administration.