Tinubu orders Rivers Sole Administrator to hand over as Fubara, deputy, and Assembly prepare to return on Sept 18 after six months of emergency rule.
Following a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, strong indications have emerged that suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly may officially return to power on September 18, 2025.
At the high-level meeting held last Wednesday between President Bola Tinubu and the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd.), the President reportedly directed Ibas to prepare a comprehensive handover note before his 10-day vacation ends.
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Tinubu’s Directives to Ibas
According to sources familiar with the matter, the handover document must capture:
All funds inherited from Fubara’s administration
Revenues generated during the six-month emergency rule, including their sources
Expenditures and projects executed within the period, with clear specifications
This directive effectively shut down a push within the National Assembly to extend Ibas’ emergency administration by another three months—an extension that would have kept him in office until December 2025. Proponents of the extension argued that the extra time would allow Ibas to complete key projects such as:
Reconstruction of the demolished House of Assembly Complex
Ongoing workers’ verification exercise
Installation of sensitive government equipment
If approved, such an extension would have delayed the reinstatement of democratic governance in Rivers State until January 2026.
Wike Opposes Extension
However, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, strongly opposed the backdoor extension attempt. Wike insisted that the emergency rule must be lifted on September 18, marking exactly six months since its proclamation.
Recall that on August 30, after voting in the local government elections, Wike openly declared that Fubara and the Assembly were ready to return to Government House. Two days later, Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, reaffirmed that the September 18 date is non-negotiable.
What Happens Next
Sources revealed that Ibas has been instructed to place his detailed report on the President’s desk two days before returning from vacation. President Tinubu is expected to make an official announcement lifting the emergency rule on September 18.
Governor Fubara, currently in London with his family, is also expected back in the country soon to resume official duties after six months of political uncertainty.
Background
On March 18, 2025, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State to quell rising political tensions between Wike and Fubara. With the latest developments, the stage appears set for the long-awaited restoration of democratic governance in the oil-rich state.