In a dramatic turn of events, President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator of Rivers State, following the declaration of a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.
The swearing-in ceremony, which was held at about 3:00 pm on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, was witnessed by top government officials including the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Principal Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Vice Admiral Ibas, who previously served as Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, arrived at the Presidential Villa around 12:48 pm local time ahead of the ceremony.
This comes hours after President Tinubu, in a national broadcast on Tuesday night, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. He announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The President cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and rising security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
The lingering political crisis in the state has been traced to the power tussle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The nation watches closely as Rivers State enters a new phase of leadership under the retired Naval Chief.