Samuel Omang
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has officially handed over power to Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The formal transfer occurred on Thursday, September 18, 2025, following the lifting of emergency rule imposed six months earlier by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his final statewide broadcast, Ibas said his assignment was to restore order to Rivers State after political deadlock and governance paralysis that led to the emergency declaration on March 18. He asserted that the mandate had been “fully accomplished,” listing several achievements, including the restoration of law and order, conduct of local government elections, reconstitution of statutory boards and commissions, and passage of the state budget by the National Assembly.
The state of emergency which suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly, among other political structures, was officially lifted by President Tinubu effective midnight on September 17. With that, Governor Fubara and his deputy as well as the lawmakers resumed their duties on September 18.
Ibas urged the people of Rivers State to support their elected leaders, emphasizing that leadership and followership are a shared responsibility. He cautioned that the challenges of governance require vigilance and cooperation to avoid a repeat of past crisis.
In his remarks, Ibas reflected on his tenure with humility and gratitude, praising civil servants, security agencies, elders, and residents for their patience and cooperation. He also spoke about lessons learned: that power without checks endangers institutions and that political rivalry without dialogue threatens democracy.
Governor Fubara steps back into office at a critical moment, with high expectations among Rivers citizens for stability, resumed governance, and improved public services. The resumption of legislative sittings by the Rivers State House of Assembly on the same morning added to the sense of a full return to normalcy.