Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, is set to return to office on September 18, 2025, following the collapse of moves to extend the state’s six-month emergency rule.

The breakthrough followed a closed-door meeting last Wednesday between President Bola Tinubu and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to sources, President Tinubu directed Ibas to prepare a comprehensive handover note covering funds inherited from Fubara, revenues accrued during the emergency rule, expenditure breakdowns, and ongoing projects. The report is expected before Ibas concludes his current 10-day vacation.

The president’s directive effectively ended attempts by some lawmakers in the National Assembly to secure a three-month extension of Ibas’s tenure. Supporters of the extension had argued that more time was needed to finish key projects, including the reconstruction of the demolished House of Assembly complex, a workers’ verification exercise, and the installation of sensitive government equipment.

However, the push faced stiff opposition from Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, who insisted that the emergency rule must end on September 18. During the August 30 local government elections, Wike had publicly declared that both the governor and the state House of Assembly were ready to return. His position was later reinforced by Rivers APC chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, who described the September 18 date as “sacrosanct.”

President Tinubu is now expected to make a formal pronouncement lifting the emergency rule on September 18, exactly six months after it was imposed to douse political tensions between Wike and Fubara.