Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Friday returned to Port Harcourt, the state capital, for the first time since President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month emergency rule in the state.
Fubara arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport at about 11:50 a.m., where he was greeted by a large crowd of supporters who had earlier gathered at the VIP wing of the airport to welcome him.
The governor and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, had been away from the governance of the state since March 18, when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency following a political crisis involving Fubara, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, and the House of Assembly.
Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who served as the sole administrator during the emergency rule, handed over power on Wednesday night and urged political actors in the state to embrace mutual respect and dialogue.
The crisis in Rivers State stemmed from a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, which split the House of Assembly and escalated tensions. Tinubu’s intervention, which included a reconciliation meeting with key actors in June, paved the way for lifting the emergency rule.
During the emergency period, Ibas inaugurated the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), which conducted local government elections across 23 councils on August 30. The All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 20 councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured victory in three.
Tinubu, in announcing the end of the emergency rule, said the measure had averted anarchy in the oil-rich state.
