Fubara Pledges Unity With Assembly After Emergency Rule

In a solemn statewide broadcast on Friday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State addressed his people for the first time since his official return to office, pledging to work in harmony with the State House of Assembly to restore democratic governance and accelerate development. The governor’s broadcast, delivered from the state capital, Port Harcourt, marks a symbolic end to a six-month period of emergency rule that had brought the state’s political and administrative machinery to a standstill. Fubara described the difficult period as “one of the most challenging moments for the state,” a period that saw the suspension of his office and the entire state legislature.

The governor’s commitment to collaboration is a crucial olive branch extended to a legislative body with which he has been in a long and bitter conflict. The peace he spoke of in his address is a hard-won victory that has been brokered at the highest levels of the Nigerian government. “I remain committed to working with the House of Assembly in the interest of the state,” Fubara stated, adding that the responsibility now lies with leaders to set aside personal interests and pursue the common good. His return to the Government House, which had been under the control of a sole administrator for half a year, was met with jubilant supporters, a clear sign of the relief and hope felt by many Rivers residents who had grown weary of the political crisis. The governor’s pledge to ensure inclusive governance is a promise to both his supporters and his political opponents that he is ready to move past the divisions and focus on the business of governance.

The political crisis in Rivers State, as Dependable NG confirms, began shortly after Fubara assumed office and fell out with his political godfather and predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The power struggle, which was a battle for control of the state’s political structure, led to a deeply divided House of Assembly, impeachment threats, and the eventual demolition of the Assembly complex. With the state government and legislature at an impasse, governance was paralyzed, a situation that prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on March 18, 2025. This historic intervention, the first of its kind in the state since the return to democracy, suspended Fubara and the entire legislature, and saw a sole administrator appointed to run the state. The emergency rule, which was lifted on September 17, 2025, was, in President Tinubu’s words, necessary to address a “total paralysis of governance” and prevent a descent into anarchy.

Now that the democratic institutions have been restored, the onus is on both the executive and legislative arms to fulfill their constitutional duties. Dependable NG has also learned that the House of Assembly has already resumed sitting and has called on the governor to submit a list of commissioner nominees and an appropriation bill. The Assembly’s leadership, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has also publicly pledged to cooperate with the governor in line with the terms of the peace accord. The parallel commitments from both the governor and the Assembly signal a new and hopeful chapter for the oil-rich state. The public pronouncements from Wike himself, who recently said on national television that the rift was over and that he had forgiven Fubara, also add a layer of credibility to the newfound peace. The challenge now lies in translating these words into actions. The people of Rivers State, who have endured six months of a rudderless government, are expecting to see a swift return to normalcy and a recommitment to the projects and policies that were put on hold. As Governor Fubara and the State Assembly begin this new era of cooperation, the future of the state will be determined by their ability to set aside past animosities and work together to deliver the dividends of democracy to their long-suffering constituents.