IBOK-ETE IBAS HANDS OVER REINS OF POWER TO GOVERNOR FUBARA AS EMERGENCY RULE ENDS

Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has officially handed” over power to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, marking the end of President Bola Tinubu’s six-month emergency rule. In his final statewide broadcast, Ibas urged citizens to support Fubara as he resumes office, emphasizing that “leadership and followership must be shared responsibilities”.

Ibas declared that President Tinubu’s mandate to stabilize the state, re-establish institutions, and return Rivers State to democratic governance had been achieved. “Mr President’s mandate to me was clear: stabilise the state, re-establish its institutions, and return Rivers State to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and inauguration of local government councils, we have decisively delivered on that mandate,” he stated.

Highlighting achievements, Ibas noted law and order had been restored, local government elections conducted peacefully, statutory boards reconstituted, and the state budget passed by the National Assembly. “For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people freely made their choice of leaders,” Ibas said, praising the process.

President Tinubu lifted the emergency rule on September 17, 2025, citing a new spirit of understanding among Rivers State stakeholders for democratic governance return. Tinubu urged all governors to prioritize peace and good governance.

However, security personnel protested against Ibas, accusing him of attempting to “sneak away with the state’s wealth while leaving them empty-handed” before Fubara’s resumption. Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and the House of Assembly resume duties today, September 18, 2025.