Following a closed-door meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd), at the Presidential Villa last Wednesday, strong indications have emerged that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and the 32-member House of Assembly will return to office on September 18, 2025.
At the meeting, President Tinubu reportedly instructed Ibas to prepare a comprehensive handover note covering his six-month emergency rule, including details of funds inherited from Fubara, revenues generated, expenditures, and the projects executed with clear specifications. The handover is expected to be submitted before the end of Ibas’ 10-day vacation.
The directive effectively halted attempts by some lawmakers to push for a three-month extension of the emergency rule, which would have kept Ibas in charge until December 2025. Proponents argued that the extra time was needed to complete major projects such as the reconstruction of the House of Assembly Complex and the workers’ verification exercise.
However, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, strongly opposed the extension, insisting the emergency rule must end on September 18. Wike had earlier declared after the August 30 local government elections that the governor and Assembly were ready to return, a position also reaffirmed by APC state chairman, Chief Tony Okocha.
Sources suggest that President Tinubu could announce the lifting of the emergency rule on September 18 — exactly six months after it was declared on March 18, 2025, to quell political tensions between Wike and Fubara.
A Port Harcourt-based human rights activist said the move was timely, noting that Tinubu would soon head to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where maintaining democratic credibility is essential.
Governor Fubara, currently in London with his family, is expected back in the country soon. Upon his return, he will be presented with a list of commissioners and political appointees to work with as his administration resumes.
