President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as the administrator of Rivers State following the declaration of a state of emergency in the crisis-ridden state.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday, comes as Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
The president justified the move by citing prolonged political instability, the breakdown of governance, and security threats, including recent acts of pipeline vandalism.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution,” Tinubu stated in his nationwide address.
Vice Admiral Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, is expected to oversee the administration of the state without enacting new laws. Instead, he will operate under regulations approved by the Federal Executive Council.
Tinubu clarified that the judiciary remains unaffected by the emergency declaration and will continue to function in accordance with its constitutional mandate.
The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, which declared that Rivers State lacked a functional government due to the absence of a working legislative arm. The court had warned against any attempt to govern the state without a legislature, stating, “As it is, there is no government in Rivers State.”
Tinubu expressed hope that the appointment of Ibas would stabilize the state and restore governance, assuring that the declaration had been formally published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly as required by law.
