Breaking: Rivers sole administrator arrives Presidential Villa, meets Tinubu

Barely 24 hours after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu has met with the newly appointed sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Ibas, who arrived at the forecourt of the Villa at about 12:48 p.m., was appointed by Tinubu on Tuesday to oversee the state’s affairs following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast, cited prolonged political instability, constitutional violations, and security concerns as the rationale behind his decision to invoke emergency powers. The political crisis in the oil-rich state has been fueled by a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Under the emergency declaration, Tinubu suspended the executive and legislative arms of the state government for an initial period of six months while retaining the judiciary. He also tasked Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2021, with restoring stability in the state.

“In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, and with the governor and deputy governor failing to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation, as required by Section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of Section 305 of the Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025,” Tinubu announced.

He further stated: “By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months. In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.”

The decision has created online and offline debate, with legal experts and political analysts questioning the constitutionality of suspending an elected governor under emergency rule. The meeting between Tinubu and Ibas is expected to shape the next steps in implementing the emergency measures in Rivers State.