By Kazeem Ugbodaga
In a historic and highly consequential move, President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State, a decision that comes in the wake of escalating political turmoil.
The brief but significant ceremony took place at the State House on Wednesday, with Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other top aides in attendance.
President Tinubu had, on Tuesday, March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the unrelenting power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The move followed months of deepening tensions, even after the Supreme Court’s intervention.
In justifying the six-month emergency rule, Tinubu stated: “The state’s security situation and political tension necessitated my intervention to forestall a total breakdown of law and order.”
Now at the helm of the state’s affairs, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas brings decades of leadership experience to the role. Born on September 27, 1960, he joined the Nigerian Navy in 1983 and rose through the ranks, eventually serving as Chief of Naval Staff from August 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Following his retirement, Buhari appointed him as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, a position he held from 2021 to 2023.
