President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd) as the sole administrator of Rivers State, despite public outcry against his decision to replace an elected Governor of the state with an administrator over the political impasse in the state.
The swearing in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with key government officials in attendance.
They include Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and Presidential Principal Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
President Tinubu’s decision to appoint a sole administrator followed the suspension of elected Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months as well as declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18.
Meanwhile, Sir Fubara has reportedly left the government house, Port Harcourt, alongside his family and all security details.
The political crisis in Rivers State has been brewing for months, fueled by a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The conflict has led to divisions within the state’s government, including the defection of 27 lawmakers from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, further destabilising governance in the oil-rich state.
In a national broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure, invoking Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution to justify the declaration.
