Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State officially resumed duties on Friday 19 September 2025, pledging a new era of reconciliation and inclusive leadership after a six-month suspension under emergency rule, as jubilant crowds welcomed him at Port Harcourt International Airport and Government House.

Fubara, who arrived around 12:19 p.m. after a brief absence, addressed the state in a broadcast, describing the emergency period—declared by President Bola Tinubu on March 18—as "enormously challenging but necessary" to restore order.

He revealed resisting legal challenges to prioritize peace, crediting Tinubu's mediation for brokering a truce with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the pro-Wike House of Assembly faction led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule. "No sacrifice was too great... The costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war," Fubara stated, urging all stakeholders—regardless of ethnicity, religion, or politics—to bury hatchets for progress.

The governor highlighted administration milestones in infrastructure, education, and health despite turmoil, vowing to complete projects, revive the economy, enhance security, and uplift welfare. He thanked Rivers residents for resilience, Tinubu for intervention, Wike for dialogue, and religious/traditional leaders for support, while cautioning against irretrievable losses if unity falters. "We can now look forward to peace... nurtured through collective responsibility," he affirmed.

Fubara's return followed Ibas's handover on September 18, after Tinubu's September 17 lift of the emergency, reinstating Fubara, Deputy Ngozi Odu, and assembly members effective midnight.

Supporters thronged the airport and Government House, but Thursday's no-show sparked anxiety; Wike, on Channels TV, clarified no legal compulsion for immediate resumption, stressing governance over optics.

The saga stemmed from Fubara's 2023 fallout with godfather Wike over assembly control, splitting lawmakers and prompting the emergency. A June Tinubu-brokered pact eased tensions, enabling August local polls where APC (Wike-aligned) won 20 of 23 councils.