PORTHCOURT: President Bola Tinubu and suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, are both expected back in Nigeria today (Tuesday) as Rivers State prepares to return to democratic governance after six months of emergency rule.
Tinubu, who left Nigeria on September 4 for his annual holiday in France and the United Kingdom, has cut short his vacation to resume official duties in Abuja.
His spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that the President would return directly to the State House, Abuja.
During his stay in Paris, Tinubu held a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, where both leaders pledged deeper cooperation in trade, energy, and regional security.
Fubara, on the other hand, is expected back from London today. An aide said that although the governor was initially billed to return on Monday, his arrival was shifted to Tuesday in preparation for his reinstatement on Thursday, September 18.
Their return coincides with transition activities led by the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), who has overseen the state since emergency rule was imposed in March.
On Sunday, Ibas began the handover process with a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt.
As part of the transition programme, the state government will host a public lecture today, themed Democracy and Good Governance, at the Banquet Hall of Government House.
Ibas will attend as Special Guest of Honour, with invited dignitaries expected by 9:30 a.m.
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, citing political instability, constitutional violations, and worsening security threats. The decision followed months of crisis between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
The feud escalated in December 2023 when Fubara ordered the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex amid a standoff with pro-Wike lawmakers. Tensions deepened after 27 legislators defected from the PDP to the APC, prompting legal battles over their legitimacy.
On February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the lawmakers’ membership and faulted Fubara’s actions as unconstitutional. With governance stalled, the state went months without a budget, further fuelling instability.
Tinubu appointed Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff (2015–2021), as sole administrator to stabilise governance. His tenure was marked by efforts to contain militant pipeline attacks and restore oil production, a critical lifeline for the national economy.
Meanwhile, a Port Harcourt High Court on Monday struck out a suit challenging the legality of local government elections conducted during emergency rule.
The suit, filed by lawyer William Abayomi against Tinubu, Ibas, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), argued that the administrator lacked constitutional powers to oversee elections.
However, Justice Stephen Jumbo ruled that only the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over such matters during emergency rule. He also held that the claimant lacked locus standi, noting that he failed to show a personal stake in the elections.
Reacting to the judgment, PDP counsel Monday John-Otokkwala said the ruling affirmed the legitimacy of the August 30 polls, stressing that the claimant had no interest whatsoever in the matter.
With Ibas set to hand over power on Thursday, political stakeholders and the public alike are watching closely as Rivers State prepares for a critical transition back to civilian governance.
