Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas sworn in as Rivers State sole administrator

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, following a brief meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday afternoon.  

The appointment comes after Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, citing escalating political tensions.

As part of the emergency measures, the president suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Tinubu defended his decision by invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, asserting that decisive action was necessary to prevent further deterioration of the state’s political climate.

However, the move has been met with widespread criticism. Political figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as legal experts including Femi Falana, have strongly opposed the suspension of democratically elected officials.

Various groups, including the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have also condemned the development, labeling it a violation of democratic principles.

However, the emergency rule has been praised by the pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, accusing Fubara of contravening the Supreme Court ruling on the political situation in the state.

Ibas was the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021. He was born in Cross River where he is from and had his early education there.

The new sole administrator went to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 from where he proceeded to have a successful career in the Navy, rising through the ranks to the very top.

He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management.

President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him as Chief of Naval Staff conferred him with the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.