Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is back in Port Harcourt, returning more than a day after President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month state of emergency imposed on the state.
Fubara’s plane landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at about 12:19 p.m. on Friday, where he was welcomed by a large crowd of supporters gathered at the VIP wing.
Despite the State House of Assembly resuming sitting on Thursday, the governor did not immediately return to the Government House, even as hundreds of supporters had gathered there to await him.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, former governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike explained that Fubara was not under any legal obligation to resume work on Thursday.
Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, had been away from office since March 18, when Tinubu declared a state of emergency following a major political crisis.
During the emergency rule, retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas acted as sole administrator. He handed over power on Wednesday night and called on political stakeholders to foster peace, dialogue, and mutual respect in the state.
