President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, swore the new Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), into office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The ceremony, which took place in the President’s office, was witnessed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola; and the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Recall that Tinubu, on Tuesday night, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending 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 a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The President had appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored, hinging his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
