Honestly, from what my cousin in Port Harcourt told me, a lot of folks were just tired and stressed out. There were days of protests and everyone was talking about the fights between politicians, but it’s not like tanks were rolling down the streets. When Tinubu dropped the emergency rule, some people felt relieved—it quickly calmed down the fighting and let the governor and his deputy stay in office, which was a big drama. But not everyone was happy. Some people said it was just more politics as usual and they didn’t really feel any difference—still had to wake up, go to work, hustle for fuel, and deal with the usual problems.

A few old people in my street said the move reminded them of the military era, with the federal government stepping in, which made some young folks nervous. I’ve noticed people want more honest local leadership instead of federal control. In the end, I’d say the emergency rule made things less chaotic but didn’t magically fix everyday problems. It was more about powerful people settling scores than anything else, if you ask me.