April 20, (THEWILL) – The Sole Administrator of Rivers State,Vice Admiral Ibok-ette Ibas (Retd.) is in the spotlight for political, legal and constitutional reasons, one month after his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
On the legal front, human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said that the administrator overstepped his bounds by unilaterally taking decisions that were dangerous to peace and security of the state and its citizens.
On the constitutional front the House of Representatives, which set up an Ad hoc Committee to monitor the administrator, summoned him for a briefing on Thursday.
Politically, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike on Friday said Ibas’s appointment was not on the cards as a solution to the crisis generated by his (Wike’s) ongoing struggle for supremacy with the current governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
According to Wike, the plan in his estimation was to see the complete removal of Fubara as Governor of Rivers State, not the six months suspension ordered by President Bola Tinubu when announcing a state of emergency in the state.
Wike said, “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the President did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state.
“However, people must tell the truth. The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the President did this, I say they should be praising him. Every morning, they should go to the President and ask, ‘Can we wash your feet for saving us?’”
“Mr president came in and saved the situation, saved Rivers people from that calamity and anarchy,” Wike said.
President Tinubu had on March 18 declared a state of emergency in Rivers, quoting relevant sections of the Constitution to justify his action that he said would stop the lingering political crisis in the state and attendant effects on democracy, security and the well- being of the citizens.
The President, in a national broadcast said he felt greatly disturbed by the development.
The President said the state had been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
According to him, it is public knowledge that the Governor Fubara, for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly complex on December 13, 2023 and he has, up until now, 14 months after, not rebuilt it.
“I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
“I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought and patriotic groups have also intervened at different times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them,” continued Tinubu.
He stated that on Feb. 28, the Supreme Court pronounced a judgment, in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers.
He said the judgment was based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of the rule of law that had been committed by the governor as shown by the evidence before the judgment was pronounced in very clear terms.
Tinubu said the above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against Fubara.
He said the judgment held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected to another political party were still valid members of the Rivers House of Assembly and could not be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the governor in cohorts with four members.
Tinubu said the Supreme Court made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy.
These orders, he said, included the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which was not facilitated. He, however, said some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor, who had up till now not disowned them.
The President stated that the latest security reports made available to him showed that between Monday and Tuesday before the May proclamation of emergency rule, there had been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
In the same week, the House of Representatives Committee directed Ibas to appear before it for a “comprehensive interactive session” on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
This was after it had inaugurated the Committee on oversight function for Rivers State.
According to the House’s spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, “In line with Section 5 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, and pursuant to Section 11(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the House has constituted a dedicated ad-hoc committee to monitor implementation and ensure that governance in the state remains within the bounds of constitutionalism and rule of law,” the statement read.
The committee will be chaired by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, with the House Minority Whip, Ali Isa J.C, serving as Deputy Chairman. Other members include Isiaka Ibrahim, Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli, Abiodun Faleke, Amos Daniel, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Blessing Onuh, Iduma Igariwey, Shehu Rijau, Oluwole Oke, Etinosa Amadi, Patrick Umoh, James Barka, Alex Egbona, Isa Anka, and Fatima Talba. Prof. Jake Dan-Azumi will head the committee’s secretariat.
The House of Representatives said it is determined to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and ensure that extraordinary measures undertaken during the emergency period remain subject to legislative oversight.
Rotimi said the Thursday session would provide a platform for members of the committee to deliberate on preliminary reports and developments emerging from Rivers State since the sole administrator assumed office.
The Chairman of the Committee and House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said, “This engagement is necessary to ascertain the true state of affairs in Rivers State and ensure that the House remains properly guided in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities in the public interest.”
In his observation, Femi Falana, called on the Federal Government to immediately remove Ibas from office, citing a breach of constitutional procedure and defiance of President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
According to Falana the sole administrator’s powers were clearly spelt out in the official Federal Government Gazette, which outlined the terms governing his operations.
According to the document, the sole administrator “shall operate on the basis of such Regulations that may, from time to time, be issued” by President Bola Tinubu.
However, Falana stated, “It is common knowledge that President Bola Tinubu has not issued any Regulation for the operation of the Sole Administrator.”
“Despite this, the appointed Sole Administrator has proceeded to make appointments and remove officials who were earlier appointed by Governor Fubara.
Describing the development as unlawful, Falana said: “By treating the orders of President Bola Tinubu with contempt, the Sole Administrator has compounded the illegality of his appointment.
“The Sole Administrator ought to be removed without any further delay.”
Falana’s position comes amid a broader political crisis in the state, where the legitimacy of key appointments and the balance of powers between the state and the Federal Government continues to generate intense debate. Already protests for and against, mainly by women, have been ongoing in the state.
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