By Aminu Adamu
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The oil-rich Rivers State has emerged from six months of emergency rule with its Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, pledging a fresh start, reconciliation, and renewed governance. But beneath the rhetoric of unity and gratitude lie deeper questions about federal intervention, political stability, and the fragility of democracy in one of Nigeria’s most politically volatile states.
On Friday, September 19, 2025, Fubara addressed Rivers people in a statewide broadcast, marking the end of a turbulent chapter in the state’s political history. “The last six months had been enormously challenging for our dear State under the emergency rule,” the Governor admitted, framing the period as a necessary sacrifice to restore peace and order.
The emergency was declared on March 18, 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following months of escalating hostilities between Fubara and his predecessor-turned-political rival, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The standoff paralysed governance, divided the state’s House of Assembly, and threatened to spill into violence.
Emergency Rule in Context
Emergency rule is an extreme constitutional measure, one rarely invoked in Nigeria’s political history. When President Tinubu suspended democratic institutions in Rivers, critics described it as a dangerous precedent. Fubara admitted in his speech that he had resisted pressures to challenge the constitutionality of the declaration.
“I accepted to abide by the state of emergency declaration and chose to cooperate with Mr. President and the National Assembly, guided by my conviction that no sacrifice was too great to secure peace, stability, and progress of Rivers State,” he said.
The Governor’s tone was conciliatory, stressing loyalty to the President and gratitude for his “fatherly intervention.” Yet political analysts suggest the move reflects the precarious balance of power in Rivers: Fubara had little choice but to submit to Abuja’s terms if he hoped to remain in office.
The Tinubu Factor: Arbitrator-in-Chief
President Tinubu’s direct involvement in brokering peace underscores his strategy of central arbitration in Nigeria’s fractious federal system. Through months of back-channel negotiations, the Presidency reportedly leaned on both Wike and Fubara to de-escalate.
By September, a fragile consensus had been reached: Fubara, Wike, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly agreed to “bury the hatchet.”
“Our Leader, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and I, as your Governor, have all accepted to bury the hatchet and embrace peace and reconciliation in the best interest of our dear Rivers State,” Fubara announced.
This settlement not only restored democratic governance in Rivers but also reinforced Tinubu’s image as a dealmaker willing to intervene decisively in regional crises. However, critics warn that such interventions centralize authority in the Presidency and weaken the autonomy of states.
Wike’s Shadow
Despite Fubara’s attempts to project unity, few in Rivers believe the rivalry with Wike has been permanently buried. The former governor remains a dominant political force with deep grassroots networks and influence over the Assembly.
Fubara acknowledged Wike directly in his address, thanking him for “committing to the prompt resolution of the political impasse in the State.” But the carefully choreographed gestures of reconciliation cannot erase the structural tensions between a sitting governor seeking autonomy and a predecessor unwilling to loosen his grip.
Political watchers in Port Harcourt describe the new arrangement as a “fragile cohabitation,” with both men forced into truce under federal supervision.
Governance on Hold
For six months, Rivers State operated in suspended animation. The Assembly was sidelined, executive authority weakened, and governance disrupted. Projects were stalled, budgets delayed, and key policy decisions put on ice.
In his broadcast, Fubara acknowledged the turbulence but reminded Rivers people of his administration’s earlier achievements in infrastructure, education, and healthcare. “Our immediate responsibility is to return to the path of governance and development by completing the projects which we started,” he promised.
The Governor’s challenge now is twofold: to restore public trust in governance and to demonstrate that the peace agreement will translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
A Test for Nigeria’s Democracy
The Rivers crisis is more than a local power struggle; it is a test case for Nigeria’s democracy. Emergency rule, while legal under extraordinary circumstances, suspends democratic institutions and concentrates power in the federal government.
Civil society groups have warned that normalizing such interventions risks undermining constitutional democracy. If disagreements between governors and predecessors can escalate to federal takeovers, what message does that send to other states grappling with political discord?
Yet Fubara sought to reassure anxious citizens: “Nothing has been irretrievably lost; there remains ample opportunity for necessary adjustments, continued reconciliation, and inclusiveness. We must all remember the saying… the costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war.”
Gratitude and Loyalty
Much of Fubara’s speech was devoted to expressing gratitude — to President Tinubu, Wike, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the National Assembly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and civil society.
“Personally, I will never take Mr. President’s kindness for granted, and for that, I hereby reaffirm my utmost loyalty and eternal gratitude,” he said, in what some observers see as an explicit bid to secure his political survival.
The Governor also praised the resilience of Rivers citizens, describing their patience and peaceful conduct during emergency rule as a testament to their democratic spirit.
The Road Ahead
With emergency rule lifted, the real work begins. Can Rivers truly turn the page on months of division? Will Wike allow Fubara the political space to govern? And will Tinubu’s intervention set a precedent for stronger or weaker federalism in Nigeria?
Fubara framed the moment as a “fresh beginning”:
“Let us work together with renewed hope and determination to build a stronger, more peaceful and prosperous Rivers State. I assure you that we will continuously work towards ensuring that we carry everyone along.”
For Rivers’ nearly 8 million residents, weary of political drama and anxious for development, the stakes are high. Roads, schools, hospitals, and jobs remain urgent priorities. Peace without progress may not hold.
The end of emergency rule in Rivers State is a relief, but it is no resolution. What has been achieved is a temporary political truce, enforced by the Presidency, between two powerful camps with unresolved ambitions.
As Nigeria watches Rivers State cautiously step back into democratic governance, one truth resonates: peace, however fragile, is still preferable to chaos. But the durability of that peace depends not on presidential arbitration alone, but on whether Rivers’ leaders can put aside rivalry to deliver governance that meets the needs of its people.
