President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas (Rtd) as the Administrator to oversee the governance of Rivers State in a bid to safeguard the well-being of its citizens.

The announcement was made by the president during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.

In his address, President Tinubu stated, “To serve the best interests of the people of Rivers State, I am nominating Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator. It is important to clarify that this decision does not interfere with the functioning of the judicial arm of the state, which will continue to operate within its constitutional duties.”

Furthermore, the president declared a state of emergency in Rivers State amid the ongoing political turmoil.

He also disclosed  the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all 27 members of the State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

His words: ” feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.

“With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.

“Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the  House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same.

“I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.

“On February 28, 2025, the supreme court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:

“A government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”

The above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Going Forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected

“are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”.

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“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.

“In the circumstance,  having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th  March, 2025 and I so do.”

By this declaration, Governor Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are placed on suspension.

Thr President nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs for six months.

Crediblenewsng.com