Barely a day after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu has sworn-in the sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.), into office.
Tinubu swore Ibas into office at about 03:00 pm at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday.
The brief ceremony was witnessed by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Principal Secretary to the President, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Ibas arrived at the forecourt of Aso Villa around 12:48 p.m., marking his first official visit since being tasked with overseeing the crisis-ridden state.
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It will be remembered that on Tuesday, Tinubu invoked Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
The move follows months of political turmoil, largely fueled by a power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The newly appointed sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
With his military background, Ibas is expected to restore order and stabilize governance in Rivers amid escalating political tensions.