“Rivers State on Edge: Tinubu’s Midnight Decision Changes Everything”

Rivers State entered a new chapter last night after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a sweeping midnight declaration that the six-month-old state of emergency has officially come to an end. What had seemed like a prolonged freeze on governance in one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive and economically vital states is now being reversed, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly ordered back to their offices.

The President’s announcement did not come casually. It was the closing act of a turbulent six months that tested Nigeria’s democratic framework, exposed deep fractures within Rivers politics, and raised difficult questions about the limits of executive authority. By timing the proclamation to take effect at midnight, Tinubu framed the decision as not just an administrative correction but a dramatic reset of political life in the South-South powerhouse.

In his nationwide address, Tinubu reminded Nigerians of why he invoked Section 305 of the Constitution back in March. At the time, Rivers State had descended into paralysis. A Governor unable to access funds without an appropriation bill, a House of Assembly torn apart by factionalism, critical oil assets vandalised in the confusion, and a Supreme Court ruling bluntly declaring there was “no government in Rivers State.” Tinubu insisted that ignoring the situation would have amounted to national negligence. With both camps refusing to compromise, the federal intervention was presented as the only way to prevent chaos from spiraling further.

That intervention was never universally accepted. Critics described it as an overreach, an imposition that undermined the people’s mandate. Over forty lawsuits were filed across Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, challenging the proclamation’s legality. Yet despite dissenting voices, the National Assembly gave swift approval, and the emergency held firm for six long months. During this period, the people of Rivers lived under suspension of their elected structures, governed instead by the uncertainty of federal oversight and the hope that peace might eventually return.

Now, with the midnight clock striking, that chapter closes. But the President’s speech carried a tone that was equal parts relief and warning. Tinubu said intelligence reports pointed to a “new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm” among Rivers stakeholders to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation. That assurance convinced him not to extend the emergency by another day.

Still, the path ahead remains unpredictable. Governor Fubara will walk back into Government House carrying not just the weight of office but the scars of a bruising political war. The House of Assembly, under Speaker Martins Amaewhule, will reconvene with the memory of bitter factional fights still fresh. The resumption of both arms of government may restore constitutional order, but whether it restores trust is another matter entirely.

For the President, the bigger picture is unity and stability. He reminded all state executives and assemblies that only peace, order, and mutual respect can deliver democratic dividends. “Violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations,” Tinubu cautioned, must never again hold citizens hostage. His choice of words underscored the depth of the crisis and the stakes should history repeat itself.

In Rivers, reactions are expected to be mixed. Supporters of Fubara will see the decision as a vindication of his mandate, a return of power to the Governor they elected. For the faction aligned with Speaker Amaewhule, it presents both a challenge and an opportunity — whether to resume hostilities or to seize the moment for genuine cooperation. Community leaders, traditional rulers, and residents who endured the suspension will be watching closely, weary of another round of political gamesmanship.

The oil pipelines and economic lifelines of the state, already stressed by months of neglect, are also at stake. Investors and industry operators want certainty. Any resurgence of instability risks further disruption to Nigeria’s most important energy hub. That reality hangs over both camps as they step back into their roles under the watchful eye of the entire nation.

Observers note that Tinubu’s handling of Rivers may become a reference point for future constitutional crises. Was the emergency necessary, or could dialogue alone have sufficed? Did the suspension of elected offices strengthen democracy by preserving order, or weaken it by sidelining the people’s choices? These questions linger, and they will shape debates long after the dust settles.

Yet for ordinary citizens of Rivers, the questions are simpler: Will their children’s schools improve? Will salaries and pensions be paid without delay? Will long-stalled projects restart? Six months of frozen governance cannot be erased by one midnight speech, but the resumption of state leadership offers at least a chance to rebuild momentum.

Tinubu, in his closing remarks, struck a balance between authority and humility. He thanked the National Assembly for backing the proclamation, acknowledged traditional rulers for guiding their people through a difficult period, and even credited dissenters for exercising their constitutional rights through the courts. By doing so, he framed the six-month ordeal not as a failure but as an exercise in democratic resilience.

Now, as dawn breaks over Rivers State, a fragile calm rests on Port Harcourt and beyond. The Governor will resume his seat, the Assembly will reopen its chambers, and the machinery of government will creak back to life. Whether the machinery runs smoothly or breaks down again depends not on the President but on the very actors whose intransigence triggered the crisis in the first place.

Nigerians, and indeed the world, will be watching. Rivers is too important, too strategic, and too volatile for complacency. The midnight decision may have ended the emergency, but it has also placed the state on notice. The next moves of Fubara, Amaewhule, and their allies will determine whether the story of Rivers in 2025 is remembered as a rebirth or as a relapse.

For now, one fact stands above all others: the state of emergency is over. What comes next lies entirely in the hands of those returning to power — and the people who entrusted them with it.

---

Ekpu Code:

“When power returns at midnight, it carries the weight of dawn — to heal or to divide, the choice lies with those who hold it.”