On August 4, 2025, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, revealed that President Bola Tinubu is unlikely to extend the emergency rule declared in Rivers State. Wike made these comments during his monthly press briefing in Abuja while explaining the legalities around the emergency rule and the upcoming local government elections scheduled for August 30.
He emphasized that extending the emergency rule would be unpopular among the people of Rivers State. According to Wike, Tinubu supports the conduct of the local government elections to restore democratic governance at the grassroots level, as the absence of elected local governments prevents access to statutory funds required for local development.
Wike explained that the emergency rule allows the president to make necessary regulatory modifications, including suspending parts of the Electoral Act to facilitate the elections during this period. He dismissed claims that local government chairmen emerging from the election would be his loyalists, stressing that ignorance of the law is not an excuse and highlighting that disputes over the emergency rule and elections have been fought in courts rather than on television.
He stressed that without the election and the emergency rule, local governments cannot access funds from the Federation Account because the Supreme Court ruled against the appointment of caretaker committees without elections. The emergency rule, therefore, remains imperative to maintain local government funding and operations until elections create legitimate democratic structures.
This statement underscores President Tinubu’s intention to restore democratic governance in Rivers State by allowing elections rather than prolonging the emergency rule.