President Tinubu cut short his Paris vacation to oversee Rivers State’s return to democratic rule as Fubara prepares to resume office.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cut short his two-week vacation in France and is returning to Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, ahead of the handover of power in Rivers State.
The President had been scheduled to resume on September 20 but moved up his return as Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers, prepares to transfer authority back to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Thursday.
Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development, saying the President will resume official duties earlier than expected. Fubara, who has been away in London, is also expected to return today, heightening anticipation for the political transition.
Ibas, appointed after Tinubu declared a six-month emergency in Rivers, has said his mandate to stabilise the state and restore democracy “was achieved.”
Local elections were recently conducted, with the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission chair describing them as a “historic achievement.”