KEY POINTS
- Opposition slams Rivers State emergency rule.
- Calls grow for probe of Ibas’s tenure.
- APC defends stability during crisis period.
As Governor Siminalayi Fubara prepares to resume office in Rivers State on September 18, political tempers are heating up over the legacy of Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.), who served as sole administrator during the six-month emergency rule.
Ibas, who took over in March after President Bola Tinubu suspended Fubara and the state assembly, insists he carried out his mandate by restoring order and laying the groundwork for reconciliation. But opposition parties say his tenure represented a constitutional breach and squandered state resources.
Opposition calls for Rivers probe
The Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party have demanded a full probe into Ibas’s six-month management of Rivers. PDP’s Timothy Osadolor called the administration “six months of illegality” and said every naira must be accounted for.
NNPP described the appointment as “an aberration of the constitution,” while Labour Party claimed Ibas acted as a proxy for Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
Civil society groups have echoed the calls, with the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People accusing the administrator of crippling economic activity and dissolving state institutions illegally. Former Senator Lee Maeba warned that Rivers “lost huge sums of money” during the period and demanded accountability.
APC praises stability under Ibas
The All Progressives Congress countered that Ibas helped stabilize a tense situation. APC spokesman Bala Ibrahim argued that only Tinubu can properly judge Ibas’s performance but credited him for maintaining peace and overseeing local government elections in August, where APC secured 20 of 23 seats.
Rivers opposition keeps pressure on
The Centre for Humanitarian Analytics noted that emergency rule unsettled investor confidence, while the Ijaw Youth Council alleged widespread corruption. Critics maintain that the state of emergency was politically motivated to weaken Fubara ahead of 2027.
As Fubara prepares to return, Ibas has urged reconciliation, warning leaders to put “the progress and prosperity of Rivers State” above personal ambition. But with opposition calls for a Rivers probe growing louder, the transition may be anything but quiet.
