Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has arrived in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The governor arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airportat about 11:50 a.m. on Friday, more than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu ended the six-month emergency rule in the state.
He was greeted by a crowd of supporters who had earlier converged at the VIP wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, awaiting his arrival.
While the House of Assembly resumed sitting on Thursday, Fubara did not show up at the Government House, despite the hundreds of supporters who had gathered to welcome him.
Large crowd of residents gathered around the Government House, awaiting the arrival of Governor Sim Fubara on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, had been away from the governance of the state for six months, after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, citing a political crisis.
Tinubu also swore in retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the role administrator.
Ibas, who handed over the reins of power on Wednesday night, urged political actors in the state to embrace mutual respect and dialogue in a state broadcast.
Struggle For Political Power
Months after he was inaugurated as governor in May 2023, Fubara fell out with his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the political control of the state, a common occurrence between incumbent and former governors in Nigeria.
The political brawl also spilled to the House of Assembly, dividing the lawmakers.
The situation reached a climax when Tinubu declared a state of emergency on March 18 and also appointed and swore in a retired naval chief, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd), as the sole administrator for the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
But in June, the President met with Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule, and other members of the assembly, signaling a reconciliation among the key actors.
Council Elections
Despite criticisms, Ibas inaugurated the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), led by Michael Odey, in July, leading to the conduct of the local government elections across 23 councils on August 30.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 20 councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in three local government areas.
Tinubu, while declaring an end to the emergency rule on Wednesday evening, argued that the crisis would have created anarchy if emergency rule had not been proclaimed on March 18, 2025.
