Fubara To Return 18th September As Governor, Day Emergency Rule Ends – Wike

By Ayodele Oni

I do know that by September 18, the State of Emergency will end and the State Assembly will come back to their job”

The State of Emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu will come to an end on 18th September 2025. As from that day, the State’s democratic structures will be restored and elected State officials will go back to their jobs.

This was disclosed by the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He spoke to Journalists after he cast his vote in the State’s Local Government Election Saturday, 30th August, 2025.

He told them after he voted at his Polling Unit 007, Ward 9 (Rumuepirikom Kingdom), Obio/Akpor that: ”I do know that by September 18, the State of Emergency will expire and the State Assembly will come back to their job and we will have a Government at the grassroots level.”

The Minister also applauded the turn our at the Council polls and said it was very successful.

However, the general opinion contradicts Wike assessment as the turn out was considered low.

Late arrival of election materials and low voter turnout delayed its commencement   at some Voting Centres.

As of 10:12 a.m., election materials were yet to arrive at several polling units in the ward such as Woji Ward 6, Obio/Akpor Area.

Other Polling units affected include Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15, 29 and 30, where accreditation had not commenced and only a few voters were seen waiting to cast their ballots.

Wike was among early voters that turned up for the  poll.

He said: “As far as we are concerned, this election is peaceful, people are trooping out and at the end of the day the election has been conducted successfully and peacefully.

“The coast is clear for the state of emergency to be lifted, being that the state government has its representative and the local government has its representatives, so we are good to go.”

Some voters and party agents were seen discussing the situation while awaiting the arrival of materials. There was no visible presence of security personnel at the polling units.

A voter at Polling Unit 29, Kingsley Amadi, said he arrived early but was still waiting for election materials.

Amadi, however, expressed optimism for a smooth and transparent process despite the delay and attributed the low turnout to the political crisis that preceded the election.

Another voter, who simply identified herself as Oroma, said she was confident that the process would reflect the will of the people.

Some traders and shop owners in Obio/Akpor area of the state opened for business in defiance of the State Government’s  no-movement directive during the elections.

They cited economic hardship and survival concerns as reasons for opening their businesses despite the ban.

The Rivers Government had earlier declared a 12-hour no-movement order across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas (LGA).

The restriction is intended to ensure the smooth conduct of elections to fill chairmanship and councillorship positions across the LGAs.

Despite the order, it was observed that some shops and roadside stalls were open, with traders attending to customers while the election was underway.

The Chairmanship and Councillorship election is being conducted across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

Recall that President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a State of Emergency in the State over a political crisis between Wike/ the House of Assembly on one side, and the Governor on the other side, for an initial period of six months. He suspended, from office, Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Dr. Ngozi Ordu, and Members of the State House of Assembly.

To oversee the affairs of the State, Tinubu appointed a retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator.

Ibas went ahead to dissolve all other political structures including Commissions and Boards. Earlier elected Local Council Officials were also sacked  by the Supreme Court, and Ibas sacked the Rivers State Electoral Commission. A new one which conducted Saturday’s election was constituted amidst protests from many quarters which were of the opinion that only an elected Governor has the constitutional powers to conduct the election. It ended up at the Supreme Court which, a few days ago, ruled that the Election, under Ibas, should go on.