President Tinubu to Lift Emergency Rule in Rivers Once Stability Returns – Minister
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured that President Bola Tinubu will lift the emergency rule in Rivers State as soon as peace and stability are fully restored.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Idris emphasized that the federal government has no hidden agenda in the decision to intervene in the state’s governance crisis.
“As soon as he assesses that sanity has returned to Rivers State, he will ensure the restoration of all democratic structures in that state,” Idris stated, adding that President Tinubu “will not wait a minute longer than necessary” to reinstate normal governance.
The minister dismissed speculations that the federal government aims to control the state’s leadership, clarifying that Tinubu has no intention of taking over or appointing a governor for Rivers.
According to Idris, the breakdown of governance in Rivers prompted the president to make a “very responsible but painful decision” following constitutional provisions.
“The way democracy is designed in this country is that the three arms of government must work together, with each serving as a check on the other,” he explained. “We cannot have just the executive functioning and claim to have a functional democracy. That was not the case in Rivers, and the president had to act.”
The emergency rule in Rivers has sparked debate across the country, with some praising Tinubu’s intervention as necessary to restore order, while others question the implications for democratic governance. However, the presidency maintains that the measure is only temporary and will be lifted once stability is assured.
As the nation watches closely, political analysts suggest that the speed of lifting the emergency rule will depend on how quickly Rivers State’s institutions can resume normal operations. For now, all eyes remain on the federal government’s next move.
