With less than a week left before the expiration of the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, supporters of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara are anxiously awaiting his return from London.
Fubara, whose last public appearance followed a high-profile reconciliation with his predecessor and political rival, Nyesom Wike, has kept a low profile since travelling abroad.
His absence was felt during the August 30 local government elections, where his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), managed only three wins out of 23 councils, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 20, including Fubara’s own Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
The state has been under emergency rule since March 18, when President Bola Tinubu suspended democratic structures, citing constitutional breaches, political instability, and rising insecurity.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), a former Chief of Naval Staff, was appointed sole administrator to manage the state during the intervention.
The crisis stems from a bitter fallout between Fubara and Wike, which intensified after the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex in 2023 and the defection of 27 lawmakers from the PDP to the APC.
In February, the Supreme Court upheld the lawmakers’ status and criticised Fubara’s actions as unconstitutional, describing governance in the state as “one-man rule.”
Despite fears of an extension, officials close to the state administrator insist emergency rule will end as scheduled. “There is no extension,” said media aide Hector Igbikiowubo, adding that Ibas is eager to hand over after completing projects under his watch.
Still, anticipation is building among Fubara’s loyalists.
His media aide, Jerry Omatsogunwa, said Rivers people are “excited and expectant,” describing the suspended governor as the state’s “most loved leader.”
Fubara, however, has yet to return from his London trip, leaving uncertainty hanging over his political comeback.