By Ehichioya Ezomon
All things being equal (ceteris paribus), the suspended democratic institutions in Rivers State – the executive and legislative arms of government – are expected to be restored by Thursday, September 18, 2025, exactly six months after President Bola Tinubu declared what many have described as a near-martial rule over the state.
But in reality, all things are rarely equal – especially when human beings and their political affairs are involved, as in Nigeria – where power, wealth, influence, and fame are often wielded recklessly by a few individuals over the very people they are meant to serve.
These have been – and remain – the issues at the heart of the Rivers crisis. Hence, in the murky waters of the state’s politics, it was not the institutions of government but rather powerful individuals who first raised public expectations for the return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other suspended officials on September 18.
The Rivers crisis, which lasted 18 months (December 2023 to May 2025), escalated steadily until mid-May 2025, when it reached a boiling point with the sabotage of oil installations in the state. Ex-militants sympathetic to Fubara threatened to extend the attacks across the Niger Delta.
On the first day of the assaults, a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA, was blown up. The next day, another blast severed a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA.
That was when President Tinubu intervened, declaring a state of emergency, suspending both the executive and legislative arms of the Rivers government, and appointing a sole administrator to run the state. The National Assembly later ratified the declaration.
Armed with intelligence from an emergency security meeting earlier that day, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and mounting security threats as justification for the drastic measure.
According to him:
“The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today, there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have given stern orders to the security agencies to ensure the safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow this grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order, and security.”
Tinubu faulted Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, for failing to formally request such a proclamation as required by Section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke Section 305 of the Constitution … to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025, and I so do,” Tinubu declared.
He added that Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were suspended for six months, while Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd) was appointed sole administrator.
The order – still the subject of litigation – fell hardest on Fubara and Speaker Martin Amaewhule, whose political differences had been fueled and exploited by external forces. The fallout also swept away Prof. Odu, other members of the Fubara administration, the Assembly, and ultimately the Rivers people, who had voted not for ego-driven power struggles but for governance and the dividends of democracy.
Six months later, signs of restoration of democratic order came emphatically from one of the main actors in the crisis – former Governor and current FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike.
After voting in the August 30, 2025, local government elections, Wike told reporters:
“I am very happy. It means that people identify with the election. You have not heard of any violence or ballot box-snatching. Electoral materials are present, people are casting their votes, and the process is going on peacefully. That’s what matters.
“So, having done this, the coast is clear for the state of emergency to be lifted. The local government now has representatives, the state government has its own elected officials, so we are good to go.”
Wike’s excitement was understandable: the peaceful conduct of the polls – in which the APC, his current political base, secured 20 out of 23 councils – was seen as one of the conditions for lifting the emergency and reinstating Fubara.
Still, uncertainty lingered over the exact terms of Fubara’s return. Reports suggested conditions tied to his reinstatement, including completing his tenure without seeking re-election in 2027, recognizing Wike’s leadership, paying outstanding entitlements to pro-Wike lawmakers, and cooperating with them until the end of his tenure.
Meanwhile, Sole Administrator Ibas indicated that Tinubu’s mandate to stabilize the state had been achieved, citing the peaceful local government elections as proof.
On September 13, the Rivers State Government announced an interdenominational thanksgiving service to mark the transition, scheduled for September 14 at the Ecumenical Centre, Port Harcourt.
Behind this looming resolution lay the roots of the crisis: the fallout between Wike and Fubara, which began less than six months after the latter took office in 2023. Fubara was accused of reneging on a “power-sharing agreement” with his predecessor, while Wike sought to assert control over the state’s political and economic machinery.
The conflict spiraled into impeachment attempts, counter-actions, demolition of the Assembly complex, constitutional breaches, and eventually the collapse of democratic order – until the Supreme Court and finally President Tinubu intervened.
Now, as September 18 approaches, the nation watches closely. Will Rivers fully return to democratic governance, or will the cycle of power tussle drag the state back into crisis?
With excitement high across the state and beyond, many hope that all actors have learned enduring lessons to prevent a return to the political rabbit hole of “all things being equal,” which, in human affairs, rarely ever is.
Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached on X, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357.
