President Bola Tinubu has installed Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (retired) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. The swearing-in occurred after a private meeting with the president. This appointment follows Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and members of the state’s House of Assembly.
The decision came as part of measures taken under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution to address escalating political tensions in Rivers. This move has been met with significant opposition from various political and legal figures, as well as parties like the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, who criticized the suspension of democratically elected officials.
Despite widespread criticism, the emergency rule has found support from the pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly, which claims the suspended officials violated a Supreme Court ruling related to the state’s political situation.
Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, has an extensive military background, having served from 2015 to 2021. His career in the Navy began at the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979. He holds memberships in the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Nigerian Institute of Management, and was honored as Commander of the Federal Republic in 2022.
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