This afternoon, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu swore in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.) as the new Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at the President’s office in Aso Rock, was attended by several key officials, including Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Principal Private Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The ceremony occurred shortly before 3:00 pm today.
The appointment follows President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18. As part of the emergency measures, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
In a national broadcast, President Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats in the state as reasons for the drastic action.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), who served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored.
