PRESIDENT TINUBU SWEARS IN IBOK-ETE IBAS AS RIVERS SOLE ADMINISTRATOR

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in retired vice admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the sole administrator of Rivers state.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

This event comes a day after Tinubu suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all state lawmakers for six months.

The president nominated Ibas as administrator and charged him with the management of the state without enacting new laws.

The declaration of emergency rule in Rivers comes after a protracted political crisis in the state.

Ibas, a former chief of naval staff, is tasked with the control of Rivers’ administration and expected to restore stability and address security threats in the state.

The new Rivers administrator served as chief of naval staff from 2015 to 2021. Ibas retired from naval service in January 2021 and handed over to A. Z. Gambo.

Later in June, Ibas was among the former chiefs appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari to serve as ambassadors, and he was posted to Ghana.

In October 2022, Buhari conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).