The VIP wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State, turned into a rally ground on Friday as hundreds of loyal supporters thronged the premises to await the arrival of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Sources confirmed that the governor, who has been away from the state for months, was scheduled to return following the suspension of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The excitement among the crowd underscored the political tension that has gripped the state for nearly half a year. The crisis, which pitched Governor Fubara against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, plunged Rivers into political uncertainty and ultimately led to the suspension of the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Assembly by the Federal Government.
After months of tight security and interim administration, President Tinubu on Wednesday announced the end of the six-month emergency rule, paving the way for elected officials to return to their offices. By Thursday, the House of Assembly resumed sitting, signaling the gradual restoration of normal governance in the state.
However, Governor Fubara’s conspicuous absence at the Government House has raised fresh questions about his next steps. Despite the enthusiasm of his supporters who gathered in large numbers at the airport waving placards and chanting solidarity songs, the governor has yet to make a public appearance since the official lifting of the emergency rule.
Political watchers say Fubara’s eventual return will be closely monitored, as it could mark a new phase in the ongoing power tussle between him and his political rivals. For now, his supporters continue to hold on to hope, with many vowing that the governor’s return will strengthen their determination to resist political intimidation and safeguard what they describe as the “people’s mandate.”