Tinubu to Lift Rivers Emergency Rule, Reinstate Fubara Before End of July After Peace Deal With Wike.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to lift the emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstate suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara along with members of the State House of Assembly before the end of July, following a high-stakes peace agreement brokered between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
The Rivers political crisis, which began in October 2023, plunged the state into months of political turmoil and constitutional controversy.
The conflict stemmed from a bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and former Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Tensions peaked on March 18, 2025, when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, suspended the entire elected leadership, and appointed a sole administrator to oversee the state.
The suspension, initially meant to last six months, sparked widespread outrage and legal debate over its constitutionality. Critics questioned Tinubu’s authority to remove a democratically elected governor and legislature.
According to reliable sources from the Presidency, the decision to restore Governor Fubara followed a closed-door reconciliation meeting held last Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Attendees included President Tinubu, Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, suspended Speaker Martin Amaewhule, and several lawmakers.
One presidency source disclosed:
“Fubara is happy with the peace brokered by the President. The deal is sealed. Given their recent public appearances together, the animosity between Wike and Fubara appears to have cooled.”
A senior aide confirmed that Tinubu personally assured Fubara to “start preparing to return to office,” stating that a formal announcement would be made once the President returns from official visits to Saint Lucia and the upcoming BRICS Summit in Brazil (July 6–7).
“At the latest, Fubara should resume as Rivers State Governor this month,” a top presidency official told reporters. “There’s no condition requiring his resignation. That claim is false.”
However, insiders say Fubara’s reinstatement will not come without compromise. Reportedly, he has agreed to a political truce that limits his powers including a ban on pursuing a second term, ceding control over local government appointments, and scaling back his political ambitions.
The expected reinstatement marks a significant turning point in the Rivers State political saga and demonstrates Tinubu’s growing role as a political arbitrator.
It also signals an uneasy alliance forged through backchannel diplomacy, with long-term implications for 2027 power alignments especially if Fubara must rule under constrained conditions.
As Nigeria watches closely, all eyes now turn to President Tinubu’s return and the anticipated formal lifting of emergency rule in Rivers State a move that could restore democratic leadership but under a revised balance of power.
