Emergency rule is restoring peace, stability to Rivers State - Group

President Bola Tinubu's declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State is yielding positive results, especially restoring peace, order, and unity to the once politically volatile state.

This is according to a civic group, the Rivers Peace Congress (RPC), in a statement issued and signed by its national president, Comrade Randy Prince, on Friday, May 16, 2025.

The group also expressed strong support for the President's decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara and appoint Ibok-Eket Ibas (rtd) as the state's sole administrator, following what it described as “months of legislative disobedience, governance breakdown, and brewing anarchy.”

The RPC described Tinubu’s intervention as bold, timely, and necessary to protect democracy, lives, and public assets from being eroded by personal power struggles.

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“The intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State came at a time when the very fabric of governance was at risk,” the statement read.

“The breakdown of trust between the executive and legislature had reached dangerous levels. We had a governor who defied court orders, ignored constitutional checks, and appeared more interested in fighting perceived enemies than in governing. The state was on the brink. But with the state of emergency in place, we are now seeing calm return, institutions function again, and citizens breathe a sigh of relief.”

Group praises Ibas

RPC said that since the appointment of Ibas, there has been a visible improvement in inter-agency cooperation, public service delivery, and conflict resolution, especially in Port Harcourt and the surrounding local councils.

“Rivers people can now go to sleep with both eyes closed. Markets have reopened without fear of politically motivated violence. Civil servants are receiving their salaries without stories. The ministries are working, and public projects have resumed. The paralysis that plagued governance has been lifted. And the credit goes to President Tinubu for putting the interest of the people above politics,” the statement added.

Prince noted that while some critics may describe the move as undemocratic, the bigger picture was preserving national unity and salvaging the state from total collapse.

RPC also praised the sole administrator for showing maturity, leadership, and humility in handling Rivers State's complex challenges with minimal disruption.

The statement also urged international observers and rights organisations to put context before criticism and understand that extraordinary times often require extraordinary decisions to preserve peace and order.

“We invite the international community to see Rivers not through the lens of propaganda but through the real experiences of its citizens,” it said.

“Those who are shouting dictatorship from afar did not live here when government offices were under siege and 26 lawmakers were locked out of the assembly thereby denying thousands of Rivers people representation,” Prince said.

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The group called on Rivers elites, traditional rulers, and the business community to rally behind the Sole Administrator and support the federal government’s roadmap to full political reconciliation and eventual return to democratic elections in the state.

“This is not the time to divide the state further; this is the time for healing. We call on all stakeholders to put Rivers first. We cannot afford to allow personal egos or ethnic loyalties to derail the progress we have started seeing. The Tinubu administration has shown that it has the genuine interest of Rivers at heart. Let us work with it.”

In closing, RPC thanked President Tinubu for taking decisive action when others hesitated and demonstrating “true statesmanship in the face of political sabotage.”