Port Harcourt turned into a carnival on Thursday as hundreds of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s supporters swarmed the Rivers State Government House gate, celebrating the end of the six-month emergency rule and his official reinstatement.
Leading the jubilant crowd was Victor Oko-Jumbo, former Speaker of the dissolved three-member House of Assembly and a staunch Fubara ally. Supporters arrived from all 23 local government areas, carrying colourful placards, singing solidarity songs, and chanting pro-Fubara slogans.
“We have come to possess our possession,” one supporter declared as drums, dance troupes, and praise singers kept spirits high. Women in vibrant attire added to the festive atmosphere, turning the entrance of Government House into a street party.
Although the governor’s arrival time was uncertain, many waited with hopes that Fubara would stop to greet them before entering the complex.
The celebration followed President Bola Tinubu’s Wednesday announcement lifting the emergency rule in Rivers State. Earlier in the day, outgoing Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) formally handed over the reins of government back to Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly—signaling a dramatic return to civilian leadership in the oil-rich state.
