President Bola Tinubu has summoned Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid a growing probe into the state’s finances during the recently concluded emergency rule.
Sources confirmed that Ibas arrived at the State House around 5:50 p.m., dressed in native attire, and was accompanied by Finance Minister Wale Edun and EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede. Notably, Edun had earlier entered the Villa briefly, returning later with a file, highlighting the significance of the closed-door engagement.
Ibas officially ceased to act as administrator on September 17, when the six-month emergency rule imposed in March 2025 expired.
President Tinubu had previously ordered the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly.
At its first sitting post-emergency rule, the Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, moved to investigate the management of public funds under Ibas, focusing on expenditures from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and contract awards made during the interim administration.
While Ibas has publicly rejected the probe, asserting that his government acted within legal limits, financial records show that Rivers State received at least ₦254.37 billion from FAAC between March and August 2025—during his tenure.
The visit comes amid rising political tension in Rivers State, with speculation surrounding Governor Fubara’s possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has downplayed the possibility, it acknowledges the governor’s right to make political decisions.
Speaking on the matter, Rivers PDP Chairman Dr. Robinson Ewor said, “Whatever decision the governor takes is personal,” and noted he had not been formally informed of any defection plans.
Fueling the rumours further was the sighting of APC Governors’ Forum Chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, escorting Fubara into President Tinubu’s office earlier in the week.
Fubara’s recent statewide broadcast also raised eyebrows, as he failed to credit the PDP for its role during the political crisis, despite the fact that 11 PDP governors took the APC-led federal government to court in defense of democracy in Rivers State.
Reports also indicate that part of a peace agreement allegedly signed by Fubara in June included a commitment to join the APC, a move seen as key to consolidating Tinubu’s grip on Rivers ahead of the 2027 general election.
On the proposed probe of Ibas, PDP Chairman Ewor emphasized that while Rivers citizens didn’t elect the sole administrator, he is still accountable to the State Assembly, not the general public.
Meanwhile, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has urged all political stakeholders in Rivers to avoid a fresh crisis.
Speaking during the 2nd ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar in Port Harcourt, themed ‘Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region’, Ndume stressed the importance of collaboration between the executive, legislature and judiciary.
“They must function together. You can’t have democracy without the legislature, executive, and judiciary working, each independently, but for the people,” Ndume said.
He also praised Governor Fubara for maintaining peace and stability during the emergency rule, describing his conduct as “mature and leadership-driven.”
