Barring any last-minute change, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly are expected to resume office on September 18, 2025.
Naija News understands that the development comes six months after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, suspending all elected officials and appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as Sole Administrator.
Sources told Nigerian Tribune that indications of Fubara’s imminent return emerged last week following a closed-door meeting between the President and the Sole Administrator at the Presidential Villa.
Ibas, who is currently on a 10-day vacation, was reportedly directed to prepare a comprehensive handover note covering all funds inherited from the suspended government, revenues accrued during the emergency rule, and expenditures on projects.
Presidency sources also disclosed that Fubara’s reinstatement is tied to strict conditions.
A source said, “He is expected to serve out his current term and vacate office without seeking re-election in 2027. He has also accepted Wike’s leadership and agreed that the FCT Minister will nominate candidates for all PDP local government elections across the state.”
In addition, Fubara is said to have agreed to pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers suspended from the House of Assembly. In return, the legislators are expected to cooperate with him to complete his tenure.
The source said, “On his return, the suspended governor will also pay all outstanding allowances and entitlements of the 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, who were suspended from the state assembly. In exchange, the lawmakers will cooperate and work peacefully with the governor to enable him to complete his tenure.”
Recall that on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered judgment on eight consolidated appeals regarding the Rivers crisis.
The apex court ruled that the 27 lawmakers who allegedly defected “are still valid members of the state House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in proceedings of that House.”
The court further held that “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution,” warning that the collapse of the legislature amounted to despotic governance.
While declaring the emergency rule on March 18, 2025, Tinubu lamented the political stalemate in the 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 his nationwide broadcast.
He added, “Having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of Section 305 of the Constitution… to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025.”
By September 18, the six-month period prescribed in the declaration will elapse, paving the way for Fubara and other suspended officials to return to their offices.
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