By John Umeh
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President Bola Tinubu and suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, are both expected back in Nigeria today (Tuesday) as Rivers State concludes preparations for the official handover of power later this week.
Tinubu, who had been on vacation in France and the United Kingdom since September 4, cut short his trip and will resume official duties in Abuja upon arrival, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. While abroad, the President held a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, where both leaders reviewed bilateral ties and pledged deeper cooperation in trade, energy, and global stability.
Governor Fubara, on the other hand, is returning from London ahead of his reinstatement scheduled for Thursday, September 18, which will mark the end of six months of emergency rule in Rivers. An aide to the governor confirmed that although Fubara was initially expected on Monday, his arrival was shifted to Tuesday to coincide with the transition programme already underway in Port Harcourt.
Transition Underway in Rivers
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), who has overseen Rivers as sole administrator since March, began the transition process on Sunday with a thanksgiving service. The state government has also lined up a public lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance” at the Banquet Hall of Government House for Tuesday, with Ibas serving as Special Guest of Honour.
The emergency rule in Rivers was declared by President Tinubu on March 18, 2025, following months of political instability, legislative paralysis, and security threats that paralyzed governance in the oil-rich state. Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, was appointed to steer the state through the crisis and restore order.
The turmoil stemmed largely from the bitter feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which escalated in late 2023 after the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex. The standoff worsened when 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike defected to the APC, sparking legal and political battles. In February 2025, the Supreme Court upheld their legitimacy while condemning Fubara’s actions as unconstitutional.
Court Clears Path for Handover
Meanwhile, a Rivers State High Court on Monday struck out a suit challenging the legality of Tinubu’s appointment of Ibas as administrator and the conduct of the August 30 local government elections. Justice Stephen Jumbo ruled that the claimant, a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, lacked the locus standi to institute the case, and further held that only the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over matters arising during emergency rule.
The judgment effectively cleared the path for Thursday’s handover, with both President Tinubu and Governor Fubara now back in the country to witness the end of military-style administration and the return of democratic governance in Rivers State.
