All is now set for the restoration of all democratic structures in Rivers State, including the resumption of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state’s House of Assembly.

A statement released from the Presidential Villa, Abuja stated that Governor Fubara and all the democratic institutions suspended in the wake of the emergency rule are to resume their functions as from 00 hours on Thursday.

The Statement:

My Fellow countrymen and, in particular, the good people of Rivers State.

I am happy to address you today on the state of emergency declaration in Rivers State. You will recall that on 18th March, 2025, I proclaimed a state of emergency in the state. In my proclamation address, I highlighted the reasons for the declaration. The summary of it for context is that there was a total paralysis of governance in Rivers State, which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the House of Assembly being unable to work together. Critical economic assets of the State, including oil pipelines, were being vandalised. The State House of Assembly was crisis-ridden, such that members of the House were divided into two groups. Four members worked with the Governor, while 27 members opposed the Governor. The latter group supported the Speaker. As a result, the Governor could not present any Appropriation Bill to the House, to enable him to access funds to run Rivers State’s affairs. That serious constitutional impasse brought governance in the State to a standstill. Even the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments in a series of cases filed by the Executive and the Legislative arms of Rivers State against each other, held that there was no government in Rivers State. My intervention and that of other well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the conflict proved abortive as both sides stuck rigidly to their positions to the detriment of peace and development of the State.

It therefore became painfully inevitable that to arrest the drift towards anarchy in Rivers State, I was obligated to invoke the powers conferred on me by Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to proclaim the state of emergency. The Offices of the Governor, Deputy Governor, and elected members of the State House of Assembly were suspended for six months in the first instance. The six months expire today, September 17th, 2025.

I thank the National Assembly, which, after critically evaluating the justification for the proclamation, took steps immediately, as required by the Constitution, to approve the declaration in the interest of peace and order in Rivers State. I also thank our traditional rulers and the good people of Rivers State for their support from the date of the declaration of the state of emergency until now.

I am not unaware that there were a few voices of dissent against the proclamation, which led to their instituting over 40 cases in the courts in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Yenagoa, to invalidate the declaration. That is the way it should be in a democratic setting. Some cases are still pending in the courts as of today. But what needs to be said is that the power to declare a state of emergency is an inbuilt constitutional tool to address situations of actual or threatened breakdown of public order and public safety, which require extraordinary measures to return the State to peace, order and security. Considered objectively, we had reached that situation of total breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State, as shown in the judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputes between the Executive and the Legislative arm of Rivers State. It would have been a colossal failure on my part as President not to have made that proclamation.

As a stakeholder in democratic governance, I believe that the need for a harmonious existence and relationship between the executive and the legislature is key to a successful government, whether at the state or national level. The people who voted us into power expect to reap the fruits of democracy. However, that expectation will remain unrealizable in an atmosphere of violence, anarchy, and insecurity borne by misguided political activism and Machiavellian manipulations among the stakeholders.

I am happy today that, from the intelligence available to me, there is a groundswell of a new spirit of understanding, a robust readiness, and potent enthusiasm on the part of all the stakeholders in Rivers State for an immediate return to democratic governance. This is undoubtedly a welcome development for me and a remarkable achievement for us. I therefore do not see why the state of emergency should exist a day longer than the six months I had pronounced at the beginning of it.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State of Nigeria shall end with effect from midnight today. The Governor, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Her Excellency Ngozi Nma Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the speaker, Martins Amaewhule, will resume work in their offices from 18 September 2025.

I take this opportunity to remind the Governors and the Houses of Assembly of all the States of our country to continue to appreciate that it is only in an atmosphere of peace, order, and good government that we can deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. I implore all of you to let this realisation drive your actions at all times.

I thank you all.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His brilliance is not in doubt, but his legacy of division, allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, and political betrayal raise deep concerns about national leadership

By James Aduku Odaudu

As Nigeria inches toward another critical presidential election cycle, familiar names are re-emerging in political calculations. One such figure is Mallam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and two-term Governor of Kaduna State. Known for his sharp intellect, technocratic discipline, and boldness, el-Rufai has long positioned himself as a reformer unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Yet, behind this curated image lies a troubling legacy of controversy, division, political betrayal, and allegations of financial impropriety. As Nigerians search for leadership capable of uniting the country and reversing its many crises, we must ask: can a man with such a chequered past be trusted with the presidency?

*Corruption Allegations: The ₦580 Billion Question

Despite his anti-corruption posture, el-Rufai now stands accused of massive financial mismanagement. In 2024, his successor, Governor Uba Sani, exposed that the el-Rufai administration left behind a debt burden of over ₦580 billion, with very little to show in terms of tangible infrastructure or human development. A probe by the Kaduna State House of Assembly revealed troubling patterns: unjustified loans, inflated contracts, and systemic abuse of due process.(https://www.channelstv.com/2024/06/06/full-list-kaduna-assembly-indicts-el-rufai-for-alleged-corruption-recommends-suspension-of-finance-commissioner/)

How can a man facing such weighty allegations be entrusted with managing a national economy already under pressure? The risk to national financial credibility is simply too high.

* Southern Kaduna and the Silence of the State

One of the most tragic aspects of el-Rufai’s governorship was his handling—or mishandling—of Southern Kaduna’s insecurity. During his tenure, the region saw repeated attacks by armed herdsmen and bandits, leading to the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of thousands.
He was routinely accused of deliberate silence during these attacks and whenever he considered it imperative to speak, laid the blame on the leaders of the victimised communities most of the time.

According to one of the community leaders, Zubair Abdurrauf, “There is complicity of silence by both the government side and also some people. It’s just because it’s Southern Kaduna that this is happening. A lot of people who are supposed to talk on this issue are not talking.
“And why people are losing faith in the security agencies is because even when we call security agents to come to the rescue in a particular place, they will wait for orders either from Kaduna or Abuja or from whatever” (https://www.channelstv.com/2023/04/19/complicity-of-silence-community-leader-blames-govt-for-southern-kaduna-killings/).

El-Rufai’s controversial claim that his government paid off “foreign Fulani” to prevent reprisals provoked outrage, as it appeared to validate impunity rather than enforce justice. For a potential Commander-in-Chief, this perceived appeasement of violent actors raises red flags about impartiality and national security.

*Ethno-Religious Bias and Exclusion

El-Rufai’s administration was routinely accused of promoting religious
intolerance and ethnic exclusion, particularly against Southern Kaduna’s Christian-majority population. His introduction of the Preaching Regulation Bill, widely criticized as targeting Christian evangelicals, along with his dismissive remarks about minority leaders, painted a picture of a leader unwilling to respect Nigeria’s pluralistic identity.
If replicated at the federal level, such tendencies could dangerously widen Nigeria’s ethno-religious fault lines, inflaming tensions in an already polarized country.

Speaking on the likelihood of an el-Rufai presidential ambition, Luka Binniyat, National Spokesman of the Middle Belt Forum, in a statement, confirmed that El-Rufai is and remains a sworn enemy of the Middle Belt Forum and Southern Kaduna people, hence they would work against his plans to further occupy elected political office.

He said: “Let me reiterate again without any equivocation that the Middle Belt region of Nigeria will not be favourably disposed to supporting any candidate or coalition that picks former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, either as a candidate or a running mate in the 2027 presidential election irrespective of the competence of such candidate. El-Rufai remains a sworn enemy of Southern Kaduna and the Middle Belt. We can’t risk him as President or VP at all.”

* Authoritarianism and Intolerance

El-Rufai’s leadership style is defined by intolerance for dissent and a deeply authoritarian posture. He sacked thousands of civil servants and teachers without clear due process, banned protests, and harassed journalists who criticized his policies. His infamous 2019 comment warning that foreign observers would leave Nigeria “in body bags” drew international condemnation.

“We are waiting for the person who will come and intervene. They will go back in body bags because nobody will come to Nigeria and tell us how to run our country. We have got that independence and we are trying to run our country as decently as possible,” said el-Rufai . (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-election/nigeria-leaders-ally-says-foreigners-who-intervene-in-poll-face-body-bags-).

A leader who consistently crushes dissent and personalizes governance cannot be expected to respect the democratic freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.

* Nepotism and Cronyism

Despite his claims of promoting meritocracy, el-Rufai has repeatedly been accused of nepotism. Key appointments in his administration were filled by family members, political protégés, and allies, including his own son, whom he defended after a series of controversial social media outbursts.

Nigeria cannot afford a presidency where public offices are reduced to family inheritances and political patronage rather than national service.

* Political Betrayals and Self-Serving Alliances

Beyond policy failures and governance lapses, el-Rufai has demonstrated a consistent pattern of political betrayal. Over the years, he has turned against allies, manipulated loyalties, and pursued personal political survival at the expense of long-term alliances or ideological consistency. From his fallout with former President Obasanjo to his instrumental but later fractured relationship with President Buhari and the APC hierarchy, el-Rufai has shown that political expediency, not principle, guides his moves.

A more recent example of el-Rufai’s penchant for political betrayal and self-serving ambition is his current relationship with the Tinubu administration. Here was a man who, according to him, played a key role in ensuring the emergence of the President, got himself nominated for a ministerial position, now championing the failure of the same government all because he failed to get confirmed for his desired position.

Such a character flaw makes him unreliable, both to fellow leaders and to the Nigerian people. A president who cannot be trusted by his own political partners is unlikely to build national consensus or manage a united team of reformers.

* The Bigger Danger: National Disunity and Democratic Erosion

In a country struggling with terrorism, youth frustration, separatist agitations, and worsening economic inequality, elevating a figure with such a divisive, controversial, religious chauvinism, and unpredictable profile is risky at best—and catastrophic at worst.

In his own words, on his decision to sideline the Christian population in Kaduna State as Governor: “Whenever people ask me why I nominated Dr. Hadiza Balarabe (a Muslim) as my running mate in 2019, I tell them that, first, I did my calculations and I realised that most of those who are not Muslims will not vote for our party.
So, why should I give them a deputy? I did my calculations, and I arrived at the conclusion that we could win the election without them,”

Nigerians need a leader who can unite rather than divide, listen rather than dictate, and build rather than destroy institutions and relationships. El-Rufai’s legacy points in the opposite direction.

* Final Thoughts: Not Just Who Can Lead, But Who Should

“Compassionate, unifying, and selfless leadership is not about being in charge — it’s about caring enough to serve, rising above division to build common ground, and putting the well-being of others at the heart of every decision.” – Anonymous

El-Rufai is brilliant. He is experienced. But brilliance without compassion, experience without trustworthiness, and ambition without patriotism are not enough. Leadership is not just about solving problems; it is about bringing people together to solve them collectively.

For a fragile nation seeking healing, inclusion, and progress, Nasir el-Rufai is the wrong choice at the wrong time. Nigeria deserves—and must demand—better.

• Dr. James Aduku Odaudu is a public affairs analyst, development administrator, and communication consultant. He writes from Abuja. email: jamesaduku@gmail.com Twitter: @jaymsodaudu