Asuquo Archibong, the 2019 presidential candidate of the now-defunct Nigeria for Democracy party, has clarified that the controversial six-month state of emergency in the oil-rich South-South state was never centered on Governor Siminalayi Fubara personally.
Instead, Archibong emphasized, it was a necessary intervention to safeguard the broader principles of democracy and ensure uninterrupted service delivery to the people.
Archibong's statement, issued from Abuja on Saturday, comes just two days after President Bola Tinubu lifted the emergency rule on September 18, 2025, reinstating Fubara as governor and marking the end of a turbulent chapter in Rivers State's political history.
The emergency declaration on March 18, 2025, by the Federal Government—prompted by escalating tensions between Fubara and a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly—had stalled key legislative processes, including the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
During the period, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas served as Sole Administrator, tasked with stabilizing the state amid fears of further breakdown in governance.
Archibong, a seasoned political activist known for his advocacy on democratic reforms, welcomed the reinstatement as a "natural and welcome" return to civilian rule.
"The emergency rule was not particularly pleasant. We should naturally welcome the reinstatement of democracy in Rivers State," he stated in the communique.
Delving deeper into the motivations behind the intervention, Archibong dismissed narratives framing the crisis as a personal vendetta against Fubara.
"It’s not really about Fubara, but the experience of democracy so that we can have uninterrupted dividends of democracy in the state," he asserted.
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