The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that the state of emergency declared in Rivers State will expire on September 18, 2025.
Wike made the announcement on Saturday after casting his vote in the ongoing local government election in the state. He explained that with the expiration, the Rivers State House of Assembly would resume its legislative duties.
It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the political crisis in the state. Consequently, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State Assembly were suspended for six months, a period set to lapse on September 18.
“As far as we are concerned, this election is peaceful, people are trooping out, and at the end of the day, the election has been conducted successfully and peacefully. I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire and the state assembly will come back to their job and we will have a government at the grassroots level,” Wike stated.
The former Rivers governor further commended the peaceful conduct of the local government elections, praising the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for a successful exercise. He also urged the media to assess voter turnout properly, noting the difference between commercial and residential areas.
The National Post recalls that the Supreme Court, in its judgment on the Rivers crisis, nullified the council polls earlier conducted by Governor Fubara and directed that allocations meant for local governments be withheld until fresh elections were conducted.
