Rivers State recently returned to full democratic governance following the lifting of a six-month emergency rule, which was declared by President Bola Tinubu in response to a prolonged political crisis. The emergency rule, initiated in March, saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Professor Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly members, with retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas appointed as the sole administrator. On Thursday, September 18, Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the Assembly members were reinstated, marking a significant transition for the state.

The reinstatement was met with immediate public reaction. In Port Harcourt, the state capital, thousands of citizens and residents converged on the Government House gate along Azikiwe Road, celebrating Governor Fubara’s alleged return to office. Despite reports indicating the governor had not yet physically arrived at Government House, supporters, including former council chairmen who had been disbanded during the emergency rule, continued their jubilation with musical instruments, expressing their enthusiasm for the return of elected leadership.

On the same day, the Rivers State House of Assembly reconvened for plenary, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, at the Assembly Residential Complex. Notably absent were three loyalists of Governor Fubara: Hon Victor Oko Jumbo, Hon Sokari Goodboy, and Hon Timothy O. During the session, the House resolved to request Governor Fubara to forward a list of commissioner nominees for screening and confirmation, aiming to fully constitute the State Executive Council in line with constitutional provisions and peace parley terms. A motion moved by Leader Major Jack and nine other members also urged the House to ask the governor to submit the appropriation law to the Assembly. Critically, the House directed a probe into the expenditures incurred by the state during the six-month emergency rule. Major Jack highlighted that the Governor and the House had no input into the budget implemented by the outgone Administrator, raising concerns about numerous contracts awarded and funds spent from the Consolidated Revenue Account during this period. He extended appreciation to President Tinubu for restoring democratic institutions and reaffirmed the House's commitment to the peace parley and the Nigerian Constitution.

Amidst these developments, senior lawyer Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, called upon President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to provide a comprehensive account of retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas’s activities during his tenure as Rivers State administrator. Adegboruwa emphasized Rivers State’s significant financial resources and questioned how they were managed by a single individual over six months. He asserted the public’s right to transparency regarding funds received and expended, stressing the need for accountability to inform future governance and decisions made during the emergency period.

Stakeholders across the state expressed diverse reactions. The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, through its Chairman Dr. Gabriel Toby, extended gratitude to President Tinubu for lifting the State of Emergency and welcomed the return of Governor Fubara, Professor Odu, and the Assembly members. They viewed this as a “unique opportunity to reset and rebuild,” advocating for peace, sober reflection, forgiveness, and unity. The elders urged political actors to transcend bitterness, rebuild trust, and redirect energies toward tackling pressing state challenges such as unemployment, insecurity, infrastructural decay, and environmental degradation, emphasizing that the return to democratic governance should usher in a new era of accountability, transparency, and integrity.

The private sector also reacted positively, with Ibifiri Bobmanuel, President of the Rivers State Entrepreneur and Investors Forum (REIF), expressing excitement about Governor Fubara's return. Bobmanuel thanked President Tinubu, Governor Fubara, and Minister for the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike for their role in brokering peace, underscoring its crucial importance for private sector growth. He urged political leaders to restrain their supporters, whose actions had contributed to state unrest, and called for unity to stimulate development. Bobmanuel stressed that the governor must