President Bola Ahmed Tinubu plans to lift the state of emergency in Rivers State as soon as stability is restored, The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris hinted. This move indicates that how long the suspension lasts depends on how quickly normalcy is restored.
Idris emphasized that Tinubu is committed to reinstating democratic governance in the state. “Once the president assesses that order has been restored, he will ensure the reestablishment of all democratic institutions,” he stated.
The minister dismissed speculation about hidden motives behind the emergency declaration, maintaining that the decision was made solely to restore order. “The president has no intention of taking over the governance of Rivers State or appointing a governor,” Idris clarified.
According to Idris, the breakdown of governance in Rivers necessitated the president’s intervention. He described the action as “a responsible yet painful decision” made in line with constitutional provisions.
“The way democracy is designed in this country is that the three arms of government must work together, and one will be checking the other,” Idris explained.
“So, we cannot have just the executive functioning and say we have a functional democracy. We didn’t have that, and therefore, the president had to act.”
