Barring any last-minute changes, suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is expected to be reinstated alongside members of the State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.
The development comes as the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), prepares to leave office as the sole Administrator of the state.
On Sunday, a thanksgiving service was held to mark the conclusion of Ibas’s tenure, followed by a public lecture on democracy and good governance at the Government House.
Governor Fubara and the Assembly were suspended last March after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency, citing a breakdown of law and order. At the time, the President said the intervention was necessary to restore peace, though political analysts and stakeholders described the move as unconstitutional.
Ibas was appointed as the Sole Administrator with a mandate to return the state to democratic rule.
As part of efforts to return to office, Fubara brokered peace with his predecessor, while local government elections were conducted and described as largely peaceful.
With less than two days to the end of the emergency rule, the Sole Administrator has declared that the mandate has been achieved and that Rivers State is ready to return to democratic rule.
While some stakeholders believe Fubara’s reinstatement will restore lasting peace, others argue that the claimed stability may be short-lived, warning that the governor has been politically weakened during the crisis.
