Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former governor of Rivers State, expressed strong optimism on Saturday that the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu is set to expire on September 18. Wike indicated that with the termination of the emergency rule, the Rivers State Assembly, along with other suspended elected government officers, including the State Governor and his deputy, are expected to resume their full duties, thereby restoring full grassroots governance.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State for a period of six months following heightened political crisis and instability. This declaration led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly, in an effort to prevent a major political crisis from escalating.

Speaking to journalists after casting his vote in the ongoing local government elections in Rivers State, Wike asserted that the successful conduct of these elections has "cleared the coast" for the emergency rule to be lifted. He stated, "I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire, and that would mean that the state governor and state assembly will come back to their job, and we will have a government at the grassroots level." He further clarified, "Having done this (LG elections), then 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."

Wike described the local government elections as largely peaceful and successfully conducted, despite earlier controversies and some concerns about voter apathy. He lauded residents and the electoral body, countering reports of low turnout by noting that people were indeed trooping out to vote. He observed the absence of violence and ballot box snatching, which contributed to his positive assessment. The FCT Minister also dismissed concerns regarding the non-use of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) during the election process.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) is overseeing the local government elections under the supervision of Ibok-Ete Ibas, the sole administrator of the state. Earlier in June, a significant peace meeting was hosted by President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, which was attended by Wike, Governor Fubara, and members of the state assembly, signaling efforts towards resolving the political impasse.