The Rivers State House of Assembly has reconvened for plenary after President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month state of emergency imposed on the oil-rich state.
The emergency rule, declared on March 18 following a political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, officially expired on Thursday, September 18.
In a directive issued by the Presidency, Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the House of Assembly were asked to resume official duties on September 18.
The resumed plenary session is being presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule at the conference hall within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt. The venue has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official assembly complex on Moscow Road was set ablaze and later demolished by the state government.
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The sole administrator appointed during the emergency, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, was unable to complete the reconstruction of the complex before handing over.
President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency earlier in the year sought to stabilise governance amid escalating tensions in Rivers politics. With plenary now resumed, political observers are closely watching how the assembly navigates the fragile peace between Fubara and Wike’s loyalists.