Suspended Rivers Governor Fubara, Deputy, and Lawmakers Set to Return September 18
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
Barring any last-minute changes, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly are expected to return to office on September 18, when the six-month emergency rule in the state comes to an end.
Sources told newsmen that indications of their imminent return surfaced last week after a closed-door meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the state’s Sole Administrator at the Presidential Villa. During the meeting, the Sole Administrator, Ibas, was reportedly given a directive to submit a comprehensive handover note covering all inherited funds, revenues accrued during the emergency period, and expenditures on key projects before embarking on his 10-day vacation.
Conditions for Fubara’s Reinstatement
Presidency sources revealed that Governor Fubara’s reinstatement is tied to strict conditions agreed upon during negotiations. He is reportedly expected to serve out his current term but will not seek re-election in 2027. Additionally, he has allegedly accepted the leadership of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, agreeing to allow Wike to nominate candidates for all PDP local government elections in the state.
The governor has also pledged to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers previously suspended from the House of Assembly. In return, the legislators are expected to cooperate with him to ensure a smooth completion of his tenure.
Supreme Court’s Role in the Crisis
It will be recalled that on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered judgment on eight consolidated appeals regarding the Rivers political crisis. The apex court ruled that the 27 lawmakers who allegedly defected from the PDP “are still valid members of the state House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in proceedings of that House.”
The court further cautioned that the collapse of the legislature amounted to despotic governance, emphasising that no government could exist without all three arms functioning effectively under the 1999 Constitution.
Background on the Emergency Rule
President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, citing political stalemate and governance paralysis in the oil-rich state.
“The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy,” the President said in a nationwide broadcast at the time.
With the emergency rule set to expire on September 18, Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the lawmakers are expected to return to office under the new terms agreed with the Presidency.
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