Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured that President Bola Tinubu will lift the emergency rule in Rivers State as soon as stability is restored.
Speaking in an interview, Idris emphasised that the decision was not politically motivated but a necessary step to address the governance breakdown in the state.
“As soon as he assesses that sanity has returned to Rivers State, he will ensure the restoration of all democratic structures,” Idris said, adding that Tinubu “will not wait a minute longer than necessary.”
The minister dismissed concerns that the president aimed to take over governance in Rivers, stating, “The president has no intention whatsoever to take over the governance of Rivers State. He has no intention to be or to appoint a governor for Rivers State.”
Idris explained that the emergency rule was a response to a total collapse of governance, making it imperative for Tinubu to take a “responsible but painful” action within constitutional limits.
“The way democracy is designed in this country is that the three arms of government must work together, and one will be checking the other,” he said. “So, we cannot have just the executive functioning and say we have a functional democracy. We didn’t have that, and therefore, the president had to act.”
