President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja on Tuesday evening from his working vacation abroad. His return comes ahead of the expected reinstatement of suspended Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who is due back in office on Thursday following the expiration of the six-month state of emergency imposed by the President.
This is as the Labour Party (LP) has called for an immediate investigation into the six-month emergency rule in the state.
The President’s aircraft touched down at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 6:50 p.m.
President Tinubu had departed Nigeria on 4 September for France to spend part of his annual holiday, with an initial plan to split the period between France and the United Kingdom. A statement issued before his departure had noted that ‘the vacation will last 10 working days’.
However, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga announced on Monday that his boss had concluded his work vacation ahead of schedule and would return to Abuja on Tuesday to resume official duties.
This came as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas ((rtd.) declared that the emergency rule was necessary to restore peace and stability in the face of severe insecurity, political impasse, and a breakdown of public trust.
Ibas said that with the cooperation of key stakeholders, his administration had successfully conducted peaceful local council elections, thereby reinstating democratic governance at the grassroots level. He noted that the state had been stabilised under his stewardship, providing a critical foundation for it to emerge as a leading model of good governance in Nigeria.
The Administrator made these remarks on Tuesday at a Public Lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance”, an event that brought together scholars, policymakers, and citizens to reflect on Nigeria’s democratic journey and the state’s recent experience.
Ibas recalled that his administration’s core mandate began upon assumption of office last 18 March. Reflecting on the necessity of the emergency period, he stated: ‘Emergency rule was never a choice. Yet, in hindsight, it offered us enduring blessings; that peace is priceless, that without security no other aspiration is possible, and that the indomitable spirit of Rivers people cannot be broken’.
He drew a connection between the Thanksgiving Service held two days earlier and the lecture, describing the latter as ‘a covenant renewal with the people of Rivers State, an affirmation that democracy must deliver and that governance must always be rooted in service’.
Commending the guest lecturer, Prof. Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, for his insightful presentation on “Good Governance and Democratic Dividends”, Ibas urged that the lecture’s recommendations be widely circulated. He further called on all citizens to recommit to the values of tolerance, reconciliation, and collective progress.
He said: ‘The stability we have restored is the foundation upon which democracy must now be rebuilt. Much remains to be done, but the foundations have been laid. Let us build on it and prove to the world that Rivers State, the treasure base of the nation, can also be the model of good governance in Nigeria’.
In his welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Ibibia Lucky Worika, described the event as ‘a defining moment’ in the state’s history, marking the conclusion of six months of emergency rule and the transition back to democratic governance. He emphasised the ‘sacred duty’ of all citizens to nurture institutions that uphold justice, fairness, and accountability.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Amuda-Kannike underscored the importance of inclusivity, genuine citizen empowerment beyond monetary handouts, and sustainable policies. He highlighted the need to prioritise agriculture through innovation and security as a driver of economic diversification.
He further urged the people of the state to embrace dialogue, respect, and forgiveness as essential tools for peacebuilding, affirming that ‘Rivers State, a place of beauty and light, must shine again as an example for other states across Nigeria’.
The well-attended lecture provided a platform for robust discussion on the way forward for the state, reinforcing a collective optimism for a future anchored on good governance and enduring democratic principles.
LP’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, on Monday, alleged that Ibas merely acted out the script of President Tinubu and his ally, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to gain access to the state treasury and hijack its political structure.
He said: ‘There are two designs by President Tinubu and his favourite South-South sidekick, Wike, in the coup and siege against democracy in Rivers State: the political and the economic designs.
‘To assess Sole Administrator Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas’s performance during the period, his only achievement is that he did a good job standing in for his adopted new masters, Tinubu and Wike. In both plots, Tinubu and Wike fully succeeded. The only plot they don’t know about is that they don’t own tomorrow.
‘Yes, they don’t. In 2027, Tinubu and Wike may wake up to find that it is God and Rivers State’s 7.2 million reborn citizens who actually own and will determine their destiny in 2027. Not the two clay emperors riding roughshod over their governor, Sim Fubara, and their treasury today’.
Civil society groups and opposition parties have voiced mixed reactions to the state of democracy in the state as the emergency rule imposed by the Federal Government expires on Thursday.
National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Chief Peter Ameh said he did not expect much from Fubara’s return.
‘The governor unfortunately has surrendered to federal might. He is now surrounded by persons whose loyalty is to Wike and the Abuja cabal. Democracy has been given a bloody nose, and Rivers people have been cowed into submission’, Ameh said.
Similarly, the founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said that Rivers people remain the victims of the crisis.
‘Governance is bound to suffer because the governor gave up virtually everything in the course of negotiations. For now, he is ready to do anything Wike and the President want, even if it doesn’t benefit the people. Throughout this episode, Fubara did not assert himself as an elected governor. Compare him with President Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos. Tinubu stood up to Obasanjo and thrived. Maybe Fubara will find his voice as elections approach, perhaps even in another party, to leave a legacy’, Okorie said.
Public affairs analyst Israel Edache described the emergency rule as unnecessary, insisting it was a product of political godfatherism.
‘The measure was imposed not because of unrest but because a godfather felt his political structure was being dismantled. It is a sad reminder that politicians have learnt little from our history’, he stated.
Edache added that he doubted governance would improve with Fubara’s return, noting, ‘I will be glad if he proves me wrong. Only God knows what became of the Nigerian Bar Association’s case against the emergency rule’.
In a related development, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed readiness to receive Fubara into its fold as the state prepares for tomorrow’s handover ceremony.
On Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, spokesman of the APC in the state, Darlington Nwauju said: ‘If I were the governor of Rivers State, on my return on Thursday (tomorrow), I would announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress. I think the governor should join the APC, and we would gladly receive the governor into our party’.
When asked if Fubara would lead the APC in the state should he defect, Nwauju replied that it would be automatic. ‘By the convention of our party, if he joins the All Progressives Congress, he becomes the leader of the party’, he stated.
Nwauju also spoke on the stewardship of Ibas, who has administered the state during the six-month emergency rule. He noted that while the APC had not officially demanded an account of Ibas’ tenure, the responsibility lay with the committee of the House of Representatives overseeing the period.
‘The budget approval he got was from the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is a committee from the House of Representatives overseeing the period of emergency. I do expect that the committee should be able to do due diligence, come up with that report, and tell Nigerians what they found out. It is one of their core mandates in the business of legislation and lawmaking’, he said.
