Minister of information reveals when Tinubu will lift State of emergency in Rivers

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lift the state of emergency in Rivers State once stability is fully restored.

In an interview with Nation, Idris emphasized that governance in Rivers State had deteriorated, with the House of Assembly non-functional and the executive arm struggling to operate effectively. He explained that a functional democracy requires all three arms of government—executive, legislature, and judiciary—to work together, providing necessary checks and balances. However, with only the executive functioning, the democratic structure in Rivers State was deemed unstable, prompting the President to intervene.

He stated that Tinubu had no interest in controlling the state or appointing a governor, stressing that his only objective was to restore normalcy. “The President has no intention whatsoever to take over the governance of Rivers State. He has no intention to be or to appoint a governor for Rivers State,” he reaffirmed.

Defending Tinubu’s decision, Idris described the move as both necessary and painful, but one that was taken within the provisions of the constitution. He assured that once the President is satisfied that order has been restored, democratic structures in the state would be fully reinstated.