Politics Archives - Page 12 of 87

FG to partner Akwa Ibom on affordable power supply

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Power and its agencies, said it is prepared to partner with the government of Akwa Ibom State to realise its resolve of delivering a reliable and affordable electricity to its people.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made the pledge during his opening remarks at the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Summit 2025 held in Ikot-Ekpene Local Government Area on Thursday.

The minister, who was represented at the occasion by his chief Technical Adviser, Adedayo Olowoniyi, said only through collaboration can such an ambition be realised.

” As Akwa Ibom State embarks on the development of the electricity market, let me reaffirm that the federal government, through the Ministry of Power and its agencies, stand ready to partner with the state government to realise its resolve of delivering reliable and affordable power supply to its people.

”We believed such ambition can only be achieved through a strong partnership, cooperation between the federal, state and local government levels.

While noting the constitutional rights of the government of Akwa Ibom State to fully determine the trajectory of its electricity market, Adelabu emphasised the importance of effective coordination with the federal government

He said as custodian of the national grid and wholesale market, such coordination is necessary to ensure state-level initiatives align with national frameworks to safeguard stability, reliability and efficiency of the entire electricity value chain.

In his remarks, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, expressed delight with the hosting of the summit, emphasising that it should not be another talk shop but must chart a roadmap and be seen as a call to action, with clear timelines and expectations outlined.

Eno said that only through this can the state successfully said to be ready to move forward on the journey to achieving electricity for all.

The governor, who noted that the state is blessed with abundant resources, lamented that many homes, hospitals and schools are still grappling with epileptic power supply, adding that the question must be asked on why the state-owned power plant with an installed capacity of 191 megawatts, is not working optimally for the benefit of the people since it was established in 2001?

‘Eno said, ‘We are blessed with abundant gas, a State-owned power plant, yet too many of our homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals are grappling with epileptic power supply. The question then becomes: Why is our State-owned Ibom Power Plant, which has an installed capacity of 191 megawatts, not working optimally for the benefit of our people since it was established in 2001?

”What clear path can we adopt to make it work despite the huge resources that have been sunk into its operations, of which we, today, are repaying the Afreximbank loan of 9m USD? Do we undertake an overhaul or institute a PPP arrangement?

”Therefore, this Electricity Summit, even though it holds great promise to us, should not just be another talk shop. It should chart a Roadmap and be seen as a call to action, with clear timelines on who should do what, when such should be completed, and clear expectations outlined. Only then can we successfully tell ourselves we are ready to move forward on our journey to achieving electricity for all.”

The governor said the state’s vision for electricity access is anchored on the principle that electricity is not a luxury but a fundamental enabler for modern life.

He said, ‘Our vision in Akwa Ibom for total electricity access is anchored on a simple principle: electricity is not a luxury; it is a fundamental enabler of modern life. When a rural health clinic has steady power, lives are saved. When our farmers can process and store their produce, incomes rise.

”When our artisans have reliable energy, productivity soars. When our children can study under good lighting, the future becomes brighter, both literally and figuratively. Electricity is the basic and most important resource to give our people the opportunities to live longer and to live better.”

Don’t leave our party, make Rivers great again, PDP urges Fubara

The Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State has urged reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers not to dump the party, but to do his best to make the state great again.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that President Bola Tinubu had on March 18 proclaimed an emergency rule in Rivers, following a lingering political crisis in the state.

The crisis, caused by a power tussle between Fubara and his predecessor,now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, created political tension in the state,paralysing governance.

Tinubu, on proclamation of the emergency rule, suspended Fubara and the state’s lawmakers for six months ,and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator.

Meanwhile, the President on Wednesday announced an end to the emergency rule and directed all elected officials to resume their offices effective from Thursday.

Reacting, the PDP Vice-Chairman (Lagos Central), Mr Hakeem Olalemi, in an interview with NAN urged Fubara not to entertain fear, but be “very courageous” to govern the state.

“The governor should not muster any fear, the deed has been done. He should continue strong and be faithful in doing what is expected of him as the governor of the state.

“Fubara must make Rivers great again. The governor should nurture the party that brought him to power into a bigger platform, he should not jettison that party. He should ensure the party becomes stronger in the state and region,” Olalemi said.

Olalemi also urged all Rivers political gladiators to consider the people and allow peace and harmony to reign.

“There is no need for us to clap, dance, jump, or celebrate that Gov. Fubara has been reinstated. He has gotten back the mandate freely given to him at the ballot but now weakened.

“Our advice to the legislative and executive arms is to work together and in harmony for the betterment of the good people of Rivers.

“These are the people that voted them and their interest should supercede all politics and politicking,” the PDP chieftain added.

Olalemi said that the electorate deserves to enjoy the dividends of democracy, saying “they should reap the fruit of their labour”.

The chieftain advised all lawmakers, especially those who had initially pledged allegiance to the All Progressives Congress, following the crisis, to return to PDP.

“I will advise those 27 lawmakers who initially pledged loyalty to APC, to retrace their steps back and come back to PDP fully to develop the party,” he said.

NAN reports that Fubara, his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu and members of the state assembly on Thursday returned to office after the lifting of the emergency rule

You lack power to sack or appoint govs, ADC tells Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against interfering in the affairs of state governments, declaring that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower the President to hire or fire elected governors.

ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, on Thursday, emphasised that such actions undermine democratic principles and the autonomy of states.

Siminalayi Fubara has returned to his role as Governor of Rivers State, with the State House of Assembly also resuming its legislative activities.

This follows the lifting of the six-month emergency rule earlier imposed on the state by President Tinubu.

Tinubu officially ended the emergency rule on Wednesday, bringing to a close the special measures he had declared in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.

In a speech on the cessation of the emergency rule, the President said, “The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from September 18, 2025.

“It, therefore, gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today.”

Reacting, ADC accused Tinubu of masking politics as leadership, saying his actions in Rivers will define his legacy.

It stated, “On Wednesday, September 17, Nigerians witnessed a curious spectacle: President Tinubu directing the Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State Assembly in Rivers State to resume duties after serving his six-month suspension from office.

“The President’s decision to arrogate to himself the power to suspend and recall elected officials in Rivers State, as he had done, is whimsically autocratic and should be recognised and condemned as a threat to our democracy.

“The African Democratic Congress reiterates that what has happened in Rivers State over the last six months is a brazen manipulation of constitutional provisions to serve narrow political interests.

“We harbour no doubts that the situation that served as the pretext for the declaration of the state of emergency was a clear act of political contrivance that only demanded the President’s unbiased political intervention. Instead, the President chose to serve the will of demagogues in his government, deploying the power of the constitution to attack what he should have protected.”

The party decried that for six months, the will of Rivers people was ignored and their elected leaders sidelined not by a court, but by a fellow elected President.

It continued, “Now, with the wave of a hand and the ink from his pen, the same President has decided to ‘allow’ other duly elected officials back to work, as though they were his political appointees.

“Let us be clear: Governors and legislators in a democracy do not draw their legitimacy from Aso Rock. They derive it from the people who elected them. Only a competent court can remove or restrain them — not a press statement or presidential proclamation. The President is not a Headmaster, and Governors are not his pupils to be sent home and recalled at his discretion. Yet, we recall that this President once claimed to be a federalist who, as a state governor himself, fought to protect the relative autonomy of his state.

“However, with this action, the President and his men have achieved their goals, and that goal was not to restore peace to Rivers State. They now have a thoroughly pacified government in Rivers State, which has learnt its hard lessons that its primary loyalty is not to the people of Rivers State, but to Abuja. More importantly, the Rivers experience would now serve as a clear warning to other state governments in the country to behave themselves.

“In keeping with their well-worn propaganda, presidential aides announced that the President had cut short his vacation to attend to the worsening security situation in the country. This claim is indeed laughable. But it is now made clear: the President did not return because Nigerians are being killed, or because life has become unbearable for the majority. He returned for one reason only to personally oversee the return of Fubara to office and bask in the glory of the dictatorial powers that he had assumed for himself.

The ADC urged the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to firmly address the issue, warning that it sets a troubling precedent.

It continued, “By removing a sitting governor and now personally directing his return, the message could not have been clearer: ‘I removed you, and I alone can bring you back.” This was not about law, or justice, or even governance. It was about control. It was about reinforcing the idea that, in today’s Nigeria, institutions may exist, but they remain subordinate to the will of one man.

“For avoidance of doubt, Section 305 of our Constitution, which provides for emergency power,s was never intended to be used as a tool for settling political scores or exerting unconstitutional control over a state. It exists for moments of genuine public danger, such as floods, epidemics, or insurrections, not for political convenience.

“The ADC, therefore, calls on the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court of Nigeria, to take a clear position on this matter, which has set a dangerous precedent. In moments like this, the judiciary cannot maintain silent indifference, or history will record them as collaborators in the subversion of our democracy.”

Clashes, disruption in France as anti-Macron protests spread

French protesters were on Thursday staging a day of nationwide protests and strikes in a show of anger over President Emmanuel Macron’s austerity policies, causing widespread disruption.

Public transport stalled, schools closed down and tens of thousands of people took to the streets for demonstrations marked by sporadic clashes with the police.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Macron’s seventh head of government, vowed a break from the past in a bid to defuse a deepening political crisis after taking office last week.

But the appointment of the 39-year-old former defence minister and close Macron ally has failed to calm the anger of unions and many French people.

“Every day the richest get richer and the poor get poorer,” Bruno Cavalier, a 64-year-old protester carrying a placard reading “Smile, you are being taxed”, told AFP in Lyon, France’s third-largest city.

Protesters remain incensed about the draft 44-billion-euro ($52-billion) cost-saving budget of Lecornu’s predecessor, Francois Bayrou, despite the new premier’s pledges to abolish both life-long privileges for ex-prime ministers and a widely detested plan to scrap two public holidays.

More than 80,000 police officers and gendarmes have been deployed, backed by drones, armoured vehicles and water cannons.

Between 600,000 and 900,000 people are expected to take to the streets across France, according to interior ministry estimates ahead of the demonstrations.

As of Thursday noon, more than 76,500 people had taken to the streets, with the rallies so far “less intense than expected,” said Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.

– ‘We are fed up’ –

With unions calling for strikes in a rare show of unity, around one in six teachers at primary and secondary schools walked out while nine out of 10 pharmacies were shuttered.

Commuters faced severe disruption on the Paris Metro, where only the three driverless automated lines were working normally.

Trade unions said they were pleased with the scale of the protests.

“We have recorded 260 demonstrations across France,” said Sophie Binet, leader of the CGT union. “There are thousands and thousands of strikes in all workplaces.”

Police in Paris and Marseille used tear gas to disperse early, unauthorised demonstrations. In Marseille, an AFPTV reporter filmed a policeman kicking a protester on the ground, though police said they had been confronted by “hostile” demonstrators.

In Lyon, a France TV journalist and a police officer were injured during clashes between police and a group of masked youths at the head of the rally.

On the outskirts of the northern city of Lille, protesters took part in an early morning union-led action to block bus depots.

“The aim is to show the government that we’re here, that we’re fed up with being taxed like crazy, that we’re fed up with having trouble making ends meet,” said Samuel Gaillard, a 58-year-old garbage truck driver.

Even schoolchildren joined the actions, with around 300 pupils blocking access to the Maurice Ravel secondary school in eastern Paris, brandishing slogans such as “block your school against austerity”.

– Macron, ‘source of chaos’ –

Officials said they expected Thursday’s action to be the most widely followed day of union-led protests and strikes since a months-long mobilisation in early 2023 against Macron’s widely reviled raising of the retirement age, which the government rammed through parliament without a vote.

While the day of protest represents an early test of crisis management for Lecornu, anger is crystallising against Macron, who has just one-and-a-half years left in power and is enduring his worst-ever popularity levels.

“The president is the source of chaos, and everything that has happened recently is the result of his actions,” hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon declared in Marseille.

Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez told AFP on Wednesday that he was “very concerned” about the risk that rioters intent on provoking fights and damage would infiltrate the union march in Paris, urging shops in the centre to close for the day.

A more informal day of action held on September 10, despite isolated disruption, did not deliver on its self-declared aim to “block everything”.

AFP

Rivers Assembly holds first plenary after emergency rule

The Rivers State House of Assembly has scheduled 10 a.m. on Thursday to begin its post-emergency plenary.

The sitting follows the lifting of the emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday and the resumption of democratic governance in the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the plenary would be presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, and would take place at the Conference Hall of the Legislative Quarters, Aba Road, where the lawmakers are sitting temporarily.

PANDEF hails Tinubu for lifting of Rivers emergency rule

The Pan Niger Delta Forum has hailed the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

In a statement signed by Board members and National Executive Committee members on Thursday, PANDEF commended President Bola Tinubu for rectifying what they described as an anomaly.

The statement was co-signed by Co-Chairmen, PANDEF Board of Trustees, Alfred Diette-Spiff and Obong Victor Attah, National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, and National Secretary, Beks Dagogo-Jack.

PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on the 18th of March, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, and members of the state House of Assembly for six months in the first instance.

In place of the governor, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as Sole Administrator.

However, Tinubu announced the suspension of the emergency rule on Wednesday, stating, “It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today (Wednesday).”

The Forum commended Fubara’s unwavering perseverance and “faith in the divine will of Almighty God,” while also commending the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension.

“The Board and National Executive Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio-political organisation representing the South-South geopolitical zone, joins millions of Nigerians in welcoming the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

“While PANDEF had expressed strong reservations regarding the erstwhile emergency rule, we commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for taking this bold step to rectify the anomaly.

“We welcome Governor Siminalayi Fubara back to his elected office and salute his unwavering perseverance and faith in the divine will of Almighty God. We extend similar commendations to the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Oduah, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension,” the statement read.

Addressing Rivers people, the forum declared, “Light has returned to the state and a new glorious dawn has come. A moment in which the bitter pains of the past months will inspire all to rededicate themselves to true mutual forbearance, new alignments and forward movement.”

They urged political leaders and citizens to put the past behind them and work towards the collective good of the state, while pledging to support Rivers’ developmental trajectory under Fubara.

“All hearts and hands must therefore be joined together to put the past behind us and work towards the collective good of the state.

“We look forward to the State’s return to normalcy and the resumption of its developmental trajectory under the leadership of Governor Fubara and his team. PANDEF reiterates its commitment to supporting the government and people of Rivers State in their pursuit of progress and development,” the statement added

Tinubu condoles with FIRS, UBA over Afriland fire tragedies

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep condolences to the families of victims and to the management and staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and United Bank for Africa following Tuesday’s fire outbreak at Afriland Building on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

PUNCH Online reports that seven victims have been confirmed dead after the fire incident at the Tower.

The victims were said to have died in hospitals across the state, where they had been rushed to after being evacuated from the high-rise building.

Among the victims are four staff members of FIRS, which occupies the sixth and seventh floors of the Towers.

In a statement signed on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Tinubu commiserated with Afriland Properties Limited, FIRS and UBA over the loss of lives.

He extended sympathy to those injured, who are receiving medical attention.

The statement read, “President Tinubu extends his condolences to the management and staff of Afriland Properties Limited, the FIRS, UBA, and particularly those who lost loved ones in the inferno, and the injured who are currently receiving medical attention.

“The President commends the emergency responders, including the Federal Fire Service, first aiders, medical personnel, and members of the public, for their quick intervention and notes their deep sense of responsibility during the evacuation.

“President Tinubu advises more caution, training, and alertness to avert such emergencies in the future.

“The President prays that God Almighty will receive the souls of the departed and grant quick recovery to the injured.”

PUNCH Online gathered that doctors are battling to save the lives of the remaining victims in the hospitals.

The incident was one of two separate fire incidents that rocked the Lagos Island Business District on Tuesday, which left several others injured and goods worth millions of naira destroyed.

Lagos suspends wetlands reclamation projects over environmental concerns

The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has ordered the immediate suspension of all reclamation projects across the state.

PUNCH Online reports that reclamation projects are engineered efforts to create new usable land from water-covered areas by filling them with sand, earth, rock, or other material for building construction.

Lagos Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement personally signed on Thursday, justified the suspension on the basis that many works on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoons are proceeding without the required Environmental Impact Assessment approvals and drainage clearances.

He noted reclamation activities in high-profile areas, including Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne in Ikoyi, Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland, Ikorodu, Ojo, and Badagry.

Wahab warned that unchecked reclamation poses significant environmental and social risks.

He said, “While reclamation may provide space for housing and infrastructure development, it also poses significant environmental and Social risks, including increased vulnerability to flooding, coastal erosion, disruption of livelihood (especially fishing), loss of wetlands and biodiversity, constriction of the Lagoons and their capacity, impairment of water quality, amongst others.

“With the low-lying topography of the State and its fragile ecosystem, the State Government cannot afford to allow this indiscriminate reclamation of the Lagoons, wetlands, and floodplains to continue unabated.

“Consequently, the Ministry is by this Notice directing all Reclamation Projects across the State with or without EIA approval and Drainage Clearance to be SUSPENDED IMMEDIATELY.”

The directive added, “All approved Reclamation Projects across the State must be submitted for proper Documentation and Monitoring, while all on-going and intending ones must be subjected to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process with issuance of Approval Letter and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.”

The ministry warned that failure to comply will prompt the deployment of machinery to decommission illegal sites.

“Failure to comply with this directive within the next 7 DAYS after this publication shall leave the Ministry with no other option than to deploy appropriate machineries to decommission the reclaimed sites, including excavation and removal of fill, reconnecting of already blocked water channels on the lagoon, and the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved and/or found on the site of the illegality.”

Tinubu defends emergency rule declaration, says it’s constitutional

President Bola Tinubu has reminded state governors and Houses of Assembly across the country of the constitutional provision empowering the federal government to declare a state of emergency where public order and safety are under threat.

Tinubu, in a speech on Wednesday, said the provision was an inbuilt constitutional tool designed to restore peace, order, and security in extraordinary circumstances.

“The power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the state to peace, order and security,” the President said.

He acknowledged that the proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State had not been without opposition, noting that some citizens and groups had challenged the decisions in court.

“I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today,” Tinubu stated.

The President urged political leaders at the state level to act with a deep sense of responsibility, stressing that good governance can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.

“I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times,” Tinubu added.

PUNCH Online reports that under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President has the power to issue a proclamation of a state of emergency when there is a breakdown of law and order, natural disaster, or any situation that threatens the sovereignty, security, or economic stability of the country.

However, such a declaration must be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval.

FULL TEXT: Tinubu ends state of emergency in Rivers, restores Fubara

My Fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State.

I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration. The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together. Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised.

The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor. The latter group supported the Speaker. As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs.

That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.

It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.

I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State. I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.

I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security.

Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.

As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level.

The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.

I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.

I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.

I thank you all.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.