The Federal Government (FG) has reassured citizens that the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State will be lifted as soon as peace and stability are fully restored in the state.
This assurance was given by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, during an interview with *The Nation* newspaper. He emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to reinstating democratic structures in Rivers State and ensuring that governance returns to normal.
Idris stated, “As soon as he assesses that sanity has returned to Rivers State, he will ensure the restoration of all democratic structures in that state.”
He further dismissed speculations that the federal government has political motives behind the emergency rule, clarifying that there is no intention to interfere with the governance of the state beyond what is constitutionally required.
“The president has no intention whatsoever to take over the governance of Rivers State. He has no intention to be or to appoint a governor for Rivers State,” he said, reassuring citizens that the government’s priority is to uphold democracy.
Idris also explained that the decision to impose emergency rule became necessary due to the breakdown of governance in the state, which required urgent intervention to prevent further instability.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
He reiterated that President Tinubu has no plans to prolong the emergency rule beyond what is necessary, stressing that the action was taken in accordance with constitutional provisions to restore order, protect citizens, and uphold the rule of law.
The federal government’s reassurance is expected to ease concerns among residents and political stakeholders in Rivers State, as they anticipate the return of full democratic governance in the near future.