For six long months, Rivers State’s heartbeat had thudded in pause. The corridors of the state assembly were silent; the offices of the Governor vacant of democratic exchange. Power had shifted, governance frozen, and everyday life felt the spare edges of political paralysis.
Then came news that felt like a relief breath: the Rivers State House of Assembly is to resume sitting Thursday morning. The lawmakers — the 27 elected voices who were removed from their seats — are returning to chambers once suspended under emergency rule.
It is a moment that could be ordinary in other states… but here, it carries weight. It carries promise. It carries repercussions.
Down Memory Lane
The Rivers State House of Assembly is scheduled to resume sitting at 10am on Thursday at the Assembly Residential Complex on the Aba-Port Harcourt expressway.
The 27 lawmakers had already relocated to the legislative complex days before the expiration of the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu.
The resumption follows the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, which had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the entire House of Assembly for six months.
The Backdrop — Why the Suspension and Why Now
On March 18, 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a breakdown in governance, budget paralysis, and damage to critical oil infrastructure amid political clashes between Governor Fubara and rival factions in the Assembly.
During the emergency, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) was appointed Sole Administrator; the elected governor, deputy, and lawmakers were suspended. Legislative power was put on ice.
On September 17, 2025, President Tinubu formally lifted the emergency decree, citing “a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding” among stakeholders as justification. Governing institutions, including the Rivers Assembly, were directed to resume duties effective midnight.
A New Dawn or Just Restart?
Rivers State’s Assembly resumption is more than a procedural reset — it’s a test of whether democracy can recover from paralysis. Whether this moment becomes a turning point or revert to tension depends less on speeches than on actions.
Did You Miss? Peter Obi: Rivers State Emergency Rule Was a Needless Constitutional Breach
As lawmakers walk back into their chambers, many eyes will watch: do they resume the mundane of budget debates, or do they seize this fresh start to rebuild governance, trust, and hope? This sitting won’t just mark an end to emergency rule—it could mark a renewed chapter in how Rivers State, and Nigeria more broadly, handles crisis, leadership, and accountability.
