Barely 24 hours after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu has met with the newly appointed sole administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ibas arrived at the forecourt of the Villa at about 12:48 p.m. on Wednesday for the high-level meeting with the President.
On Tuesday, Tinubu invoked emergency powers, 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, he cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as justification for the drastic measure.
The crisis in the oil-rich state has been fueled by a bitter power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
In line with the directive, Tinubu appointed Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff (2015–2021), to oversee the state’s affairs until stability is restored.
“In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State, and noting that the governor and deputy governor have failed to request my intervention as required by Section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke Section 305 of the Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, with effect from today, March 18, 2025,” Tinubu stated.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby appoint Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the 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.”
