By Zainab Rauf President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the sole administrator of...
By Zainab Rauf
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers State.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the State House on Wednesday, was witnessed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other top presidential aides.
This development follows President Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18, citing escalating political tensions and security concerns stemming from the ongoing conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“In proclaiming the six-month State of Emergency, President Tinubu said the state’s security situation and political tension necessitated his intervention to forestall a total breakdown of law and order,” the State House said in a press release signed by Presidential Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, born on September 27, 1960, is a seasoned military officer with extensive experience in national service. Commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 1983 as a sub-lieutenant, he held several command positions before being appointed Chief of Naval Staff by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, a position he held until 2021.
Following his retirement from active service, Ibas was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, serving between 2021 and 2023.
His appointment as the sole administrator of Rivers State marks a critical turning point in the state’s ongoing political crisis, as the federal government moves to stabilize governance and restore order.
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