In response to a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2025. He then appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state, suspending the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for a period of six months.
Tinubu stated that this was done to prevent a total breakdown of law and order and was in line with the provisions of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The action resulted in several controversies, with many describing the move as illegal, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Ibas’ six-month rule has sparked several controversies, significantly impacting the political climate of Rivers State.
Elected Officials Sent Packing
On March 26, 2025, Ibas suspended all political office holders and appointees in Rivers State. Those suspended included the Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff, commissioners, chairmen, and members of all boards, councils of agencies, as well as commissions, institutions, and parastatals, special advisers, special assistants, and senior special assistants.
The statement released at that time by his chief of staff said that Ibas’s action was pursuant to the powers conferred on him by President Bola Tinubu.
“This suspension takes effect from March 26, 2025. The affected officers are to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their MDAs. Where there may be no permanent secretary, they are to hand over to the most senior director/head of administration,” a part of the statement reads.
This generated several criticisms, including a pro-democracy group, the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), which tagged his action as “an outright violation of the constitution”.
New leadership in LGAS
Ibas appointed local government administrators for the 23 LGAs of the state. In a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Lucky Worika, and published on April 9, 2025, the appointments of these administrators, as well as members of the Rivers State Electoral Commission, were disclosed.
This came after a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had restrained Ibas from appointing sole administrators or their equivalents to oversee the 23 local government areas in the state.
The struggle over the LGA structure of Rivers State has been ongoing since 2023, when the tenure of elected local government chairmen ended in June 2023. These chairmen, originally elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike, claimed an extension of tenure granted by 27 defected state lawmakers loyal to Wike.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen upon taking office. Despite ongoing tensions, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted local government elections on October 5, 2024. However, the faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Wike, led by Tony Okocha, challenged RSIEC’s actions in court.
The legal battle ended at the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025, with a judgment in favour of the Wike-backed APC faction. In response, Governor Fubara removed the chairmen installed through the nullified election and directed the heads of local council administration to assume interim leadership pending new elections.
Ibas’s appointment, which defied the Federal High Court’s interim order, sparked significant controversy. The Coordinator of the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, Courage Nsirimovu, described Ibas’s action as an attempt to capture the state.
According to him, “Just as the state government has been captured, the local government has now also been captured. It will be run at the whims and caprices of a few individuals, turning democracy into an oligarchy.”
APC dominate Rivers LGA
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), appointed by Ibas, conducted local government elections on August 30, 2025. Before the polls, several indigenes of Rivers State had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to challenge the decision to hold the elections, arguing that the state was not yet conducive for such an exercise.
Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) filed a lawsuit at the High Court of Rivers State, challenging the election schedule.
The ADC asked the court to determine whether the Sole Administrator, who is not the elected governor of Rivers State, has the constitutional powers to nominate and appoint members of the RSIEC board—a function reserved for the executive governor under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2018.
The party further sought the nullification of the revised local government election timetable released by the newly appointed RSIEC board.
However, the election was held, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerging victorious and securing 20 out of the 23 LGAs. The 3 LGAs were won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
With Ibas’s six-month tenure ending on September 18 and the possible return of Governor Fubara, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged that those who oversaw Rivers State during the emergency period be held accountable.
