President Bola Tinubu and suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, are expected back in the country today (Tuesday) ahead of the official return of democratic governance in Rivers State on Thursday, September 18.
Tinubu, who left Nigeria on September 4 for his annual holiday in France and the United Kingdom, cut short his trip and will resume official duties in Abuja immediately on arrival, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. While in Paris, the President held a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, where they agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Fubara, who has been on a private visit to London, is also scheduled to return today. His comeback comes just days before his reinstatement following months of political turmoil and emergency rule in the state.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), appointed by Tinubu as sole administrator in March after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers, has already kick-started the transition process. On Sunday, he led a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt, and today, the state government is hosting a public lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance” at the Banquet Hall of Government House. The event is part of activities lined up ahead of Thursday’s handover.
The Rivers crisis dates back to December 2023, when Fubara demolished the State House of Assembly complex, triggering a prolonged battle with lawmakers loyal to his predecessor and political rival, Nyesom Wike. Tensions worsened after 27 legislators defected from the PDP to the APC, sparking legal disputes over their legitimacy.
The Supreme Court, on February 28, 2025, upheld the lawmakers’ membership and faulted Fubara’s actions, describing governance in the state as unconstitutional and despotic. Despite the ruling, governance remained stalled, with no budget passed for the year.
Tinubu eventually declared emergency rule on March 18, citing political instability, constitutional breaches, and security concerns, including pipeline explosions linked to militants allegedly loyal to Fubara. Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, was appointed to stabilise the state.
Meanwhile, legal challenges against the administrator’s tenure have faltered. On Monday, the Rivers State High Court dismissed a suit filed by lawyer William Abayomi questioning Tinubu’s authority to appoint Ibas and his role in local government elections. Justice Stephen Jumbo ruled that only the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over such matters during emergency rule and that the claimant lacked the locus standi to sue.
With Tinubu and Fubara’s return, focus now shifts to Thursday’s transition, which will officially end six months of emergency administration in Rivers State.
