Tinubu Meets Rivers Sole Administrator Ibas After Declaring State Of Emergency

Barely 24 hours after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu is meeting with the newly appointed sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas.

READ ALSO: State Of Emergency In Rivers State; Meet Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd) The New Administrator

Ibas arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 12:48 p.m. on Wednesday for the high-level meeting. His appointment follows Tinubu’s decision to suspend 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 his national address on Tuesday, Tinubu justified the emergency measure by citing prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats in the oil-rich state. 

READ ALSO: Rivers Assembly Speaker Backs Tinubu’s State Of Emergency, Urges Support For Sole Administrator

The crisis stems from a deepening power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

As part of his directive, Tinubu appointed Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, to oversee the state’s administration until stability is restored.

The President emphasized that his decision was necessary to prevent further governance paralysis in Rivers, assuring that the judiciary in the state would continue to function.

The meeting between Tinubu and Ibas is expected to outline the roadmap for governance in Rivers under the emergency rule.