Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara has returned to Port Harcourt, marking his first public appearance since the lifting of the emergency rule in the state.
His aircraft touched down at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, at about 11:55am on Friday, where jubilant supporters gathered to welcome him back.
Fubara had been suspended from office alongside his deputy, Ngozi Odu, after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on 18 March amid a deepening political crisis. Tinubu appointed retired admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator to run the state during the six-month period.
On Wednesday, Ibas formally handed power back, urging Rivers politicians to embrace dialogue and mutual respect. The following day, the Rivers House of Assembly reconvened, as crowds of Fubara’s supporters besieged the government house in anticipation of his return, though he did not show.
The political crisis in Rivers was triggered by a bitter feud between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now minister of the federal capital territory, over control of the state’s political machinery. The rift split the state assembly and spilled into violent clashes before Tinubu stepped in with a reconciliation meeting in June.
With Fubara back in Rivers, attention now shifts to whether his return will ease tensions or rekindle old hostilities.
