…After Tinubu acknowledges new spirit of understanding in Rivers
The mood in Rivers State over the end of emergency rule seems to be mixed without any excitement.
This may be because most persons expected the return of Gov Sim Fubara in the first week of July 2025 after the reconciliations. When this did not happen and when the emergency dragged to last day of the six months, most persons seemed to lose interest.
This may have led to responses to be toned down without any excitement. Also, most citizens believed that the state of emergency may not have been imposed to make peace but to recapture ‘structure’ and hand back to one of the bitter rivals in the crisis that led to the state of emergency.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, however, who lifted the emergency Wednesday, September 17, 2025, said he had credible intelligence that there has emerged groundswell of a new spirit of understanding.
He said: “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.”
Tinubu also tried to justify the imposition of emergency, saying his intervention at the early stages was rebuffed. The president had warned there would be consequences if his peace agenda was ignored. The consequence seemed to be heavy on two warring parties but many critics said he ignored the main man in the conflict.
The Rivers Elders Council has welcomed the return of democracy (or civil rule rather) and commended both Fubara and the lawmakers for agreeing to work together once again.
The Ijaw elders have rather called for probe of the period of the sole administrator including the federal allocations, projects done, and the internally generated revenue.
What seemed to mark a negative tone on the departure of Ibok ete Ibas, the sole administrator, is rather a viral video said to be Brick House aides and security details protesting what they termed negligence by the boss who they said left them high and dry.
In his response, Fynebone Dumnamene Fyneface, Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, said the lifting is welcome development, saying it was expected. He commended the president for not extending the emergency rule, though many did not accept the emergency as justified.
He cautioned the gladiators not to allow anything else that would bring the state to crisis.
He wants the governor to get back fast on duty and that the lawmakers must do their work but that there must be cordial relationship. He urged the youths in the state to be cautious especially those blowing up pipelines.
Well, you know that in Nigerian politics, being out of power for a politician is like fish out of water.
Speaking, Darlington Nwauju said loyalty is more to he who holds the carrots to distribute. “Since this sharing of patronages is the oxygen that keeps the Nigerian politician, staying out of power for six months is a very long time.
“But, speaking frankly as a Rivers man, I want to see the Governor return to continue from where he left off. What I do not know is if he has the zeal or passion to drive his policies through the political landmines that are sufficient enough to distract him for another one and half years. If I were to advise him, I would say move into the APC now”.
