‘Fubara Has Been Boxed Into A Corner’ – Tension in Rivers State as Tinubu’s Emergency Rule Nears End

Tension is mounting in Rivers State as the six-month suspension of democratic institutions imposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2025 gradually winds down. The political spotlight is now firmly on suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who are set to return to office once the emergency rule officially ends.

The intervention, which came after months of fierce rivalry between Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was aimed at halting political unrest that had paralyzed governance in the state. Tinubu appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as sole administrator to oversee state affairs, a move that triggered both relief and criticism.

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Projects Stalled Under Sole Administration

Before his removal, Governor Fubara had launched several ambitious projects, including the Trans-Kalabari Link Road, the Port Harcourt Ring Road, the rehabilitation of the fire-damaged Rivers State House of Assembly complex, and plans to revive the Soghai Farm in Tai Local Government Area.

However, most of these initiatives stalled after Vice Admiral Ibas assumed office. Despite promises that contractors would be remobilized, progress has been minimal. Residents have grown increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of development during the interim administration.

Expectations as Fubara Returns

As his reinstatement looms, Rivers stakeholders are setting out their expectations for the governor’s second coming.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Stephen Deegbara, urged Fubara to focus immediately on completing abandoned projects, addressing civil service stagnation, and employing new teachers across primary and secondary schools.

“He should also focus on governance, mend broken relationships, unite the state, and align Rivers with the federal government, and not listen to those who are crisis entrepreneurs, those who benefited from the needless crisis,” Deegbara told The Sun.

Similarly, Olalekan Ige, a Port Harcourt-based journalist, emphasized the need to prioritize infrastructure.

“He should focus on completing several projects he awarded, especially roads like the Elele-Omoku Road and the Trans-Kalabari Road. He needs to immediately look into the Ring Road project abandoned by Julius Berger and resolve all knotty issues.

“The employment issue is so important and needs to be tackled immediately. Many schools, health institutions, and ministries are lacking personnel. Rehabilitation of schools across LGAs, bursaries for students, and the establishment of a State Emergency Management Agency to handle floods and fires must also be prioritized,” Ige said.

‘Governance Has Been Frozen’

Other voices have expressed concern about the toll of emergency rule on the state.

APC chieftain Darlington Nwauju lamented that governance had been paralyzed under the sole administrator.

“As a Rivers man, I have completely lost interest in governance issues here, given the fact that governance has been frozen in the past five months.

“The easiest thing to do in governance—pay salaries—has become herculean under the military administrator. Governor Sim Fubara will have to start from where he met the state in 2023 because development has been completely frozen,” he told journalists.

Political analyst Dr Obinna Nwodim echoed this view, noting that residents had seen “little tangible progress” since Fubara’s suspension.

“In all fairness, I wouldn’t say that the average Rivers man has seen any tangible result from the government. They truncated what was ongoing because of contracts awarded by the suspended governor. There is a big difference between what is happening now and what would have happened if the democratic structure had remained in place,” Nwodim observed.

Fubara ‘Boxed Into a Corner’

Yet, optimism about the governor’s return is not universal. Public affairs analyst Obinwa Akanwa warned that Fubara may return politically weakened.

“The governor has been boxed into a corner and, as such, less development should be expected,” Akanwa stated, highlighting the political pressure the governor faces from both Wike’s camp and the federal government.

Allegations of Smear Campaign

Meanwhile, the Coalition for Justice and Democracy (CJD) has accused Fubara of sponsoring a smear campaign against President Tinubu and the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibas.

In a statement signed by its president, Comrade Raymond Aighona, the coalition alleged that Fubara was behind a social media document accusing Ibas of mismanaging ₦500 billion and inflating contracts to fund Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The group dismissed the claims as “baseless blackmail,” stressing that Ibas had acted within the emergency powers granted to him and under constant oversight from the National Assembly.

“Siminalayi Fubara has chosen the path of bitterness and deceit. He has not forgiven President Tinubu for saving Rivers State from total political anarchy through the declaration of emergency rule. Now, in an act of reckless vengeance, he is sponsoring falsehoods, pushing forged documents, and trying to smear the reputation of the President and the sole administrator. These antics will not succeed,” CJD declared.

As the countdown to the end of emergency rule continues, Rivers State stands at a crossroads. On one hand, there is optimism that Fubara’s return could revive stalled projects, restore democratic governance, and address pressing socio-economic challenges. On the other, skepticism abounds about whether the governor—reportedly “boxed into a corner”—will have the political capital to govern effectively.

For Rivers people, the next few weeks will be decisive. Will Fubara re-emerge with renewed resolve to lead, or will his administration be further constrained by lingering rivalries and federal pressures? One thing is certain: the end of emergency rule marks only the beginning of a new and uncertain chapter in the state’s turbulent politics.