By Samuel Abasiekong-Abasiekong
Some National Assembly members working undercover in failed bid to advise President Bola Hamed Tinubu to extend the suspension of the elected Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara by three months, had their proposal turned down as the President ordered the state Sole Administrator to prepare his handover note.
Their proposal sought to keep Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas in office until December 2025, to allow him time to complete the reconstruction of the state assembly complex, conclude the workers verification exercise, and install sensitive government equipment.
Going by the period of his six months suspension, Fubara, his deputy Prof Ngozi Odu and the state legislature are expected to return to office on September 18, 2025. President Tinubu, during a closed-door meeting with Rivers State Sole Administrator at the presidential villa last Wednesday, directed him to prepare a comprehensive handover report before he embarked on a scheduled vacation in Europe.
Had the plan succeeded, Fubara, his deputy and the assembly would not have resumed until January 2026.
Resistance to the extension was strong. The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, reportedly opposed the move and pushed for the emergency rule to end as scheduled. Wike had earlier told reporters after the August 30 local government elections that the suspended officials were ready to return to Government House.
Two days later, Rivers APC chairman Chief Tony Okocha affirmed that the September 18 timeline remained intact as the president had ordered Ibas to prepare to hand over
A presidency source disclosed that Ibas must submit his report at least two days before resuming from vacation. The President is then expected to make a pronouncement on lifting the emergency rule, exactly six months after it was declared on March 18 to quell political tensions between Wike and Fubara.
A Port Harcourt-based human rights activist argued that lifting the suspension aligns with Tinubus democratic credentials. Upon his return from vacation, Mr. Presidents next foreign trip would be to New York where he is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly. There, he is going to be face to face with advanced democracies and civil societies. It is only morally right, as a self-styled democrat, for him to lift the suspension and restore all democratic institutions in Rivers state to avoid a backlash from the harsh American media, he said.
Meanwhile, Fubara, who is in London with his family, is expected back in the country soon. Upon resumption, he will be presented with a list of political appointees, including commissioners, who will form his new cabinet.
