Nigeria lifts emergency rule in Rivers State after six months of political crisis

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s president on Wednesday lifted the emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstated the local governor and lawmakers, ending six months of emergency rule prompted by a protracted political crisis and oil-pipeline vandalism, according to a statement posted on social media.

The presidency said the measure was designed to arrest the drift toward anarchy in Rivers State and should not extend beyond the six months pronounced at the outset.

Rivers State began its six-month emergency after a political confrontation between incumbent Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, some of whom sought to impeach him over allegations they said he illegally presented the budget and altered the legislature’s composition. Fubara has denied the accusations.

Rivers is a major oil-producing region in the Niger Delta, a zone that has faced militant attacks targeting pipelines for years.

During the emergency period, the state was governed by retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, a former navy chief, who was appointed to oversee security and civil administration.

The Nigerian constitution allows emergency rule to maintain law and order in rare circumstances. The last time a national emergency was declared in Nigeria before this month was in 2013, under President Goodluck Jonathan, in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states; however, governors were not suspended at that time.

With the end of the emergency, normal governance resumes in Rivers State, and authorities are expected to continue efforts to restore security and stability in the oil-focused region.