Tinubu Swears In Ibok Ibas As Sole Administrator Of Rivers State

President Bola Tinubu has sworn- in the sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), into office.

Tinubu swore Ibas into office at about 03:00 pm today at the State House, Abuja.

The brief ceremony was witnessed by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Principal Secretary to the President, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.

Ibas arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 12:48 pm (local time).

Last night, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months,

In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.

The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

As part of the directive, the President also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.