The Rivers State Government has unveiled plans to mark the end of the state of emergency and the return to democratic governance with a special inter-denominational thanksgiving service.
According to a statement on Saturday by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibibia Worika, the event will take place on Sunday at the Ecumenical Centre, Abonima Wharf Road, Port Harcourt. All invited guests are expected to be seated by 9:30 a.m., while the service begins at 10 a.m.
Those expected at the service include permanent secretaries, local government chairmen, security and paramilitary chiefs, traditional rulers, members of state boards and governing councils, captains of industry and other stakeholders. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the state’s appointed administrator during the emergency period, will serve as Special Guest of Honour.
Worika said the service forms part of the activities to formally usher Rivers State back into democratic governance after months of federal control.
President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
The declaration followed an intense political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The conflict escalated after the demolition of the House of Assembly complex in late 2023, coupled with disputes over the legitimacy of some lawmakers.
Security concerns also mounted, with reports of pipeline vandalism and constitutional breaches, prompting the Supreme Court to criticise Fubara’s handling of the Assembly as “despotic” and to conclude that there was “no functioning government” in the state.
To stabilise the situation, Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibas (retd.) as sole administrator, while leaving the judiciary to function normally. Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, defended the emergency measures as necessary to prevent the collapse of governance and to restore constitutional order, stressing that the President acted after extensive evaluation and failed mediation efforts.
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