Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, now serving as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has issued a stern caution to protesters backing suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stating that their actions are putting his patience to the test.

This warning came through the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo, who emphasized that Ibas has refrained from exercising the full scope of his emergency powers as outlined in the government gazette.

Speaking to DAILY GAZETTE on Tuesday, Igbikiowubo noted, “the fact that people are able to protest speaks to the administrator’s level of tolerance.”

“If you check the gazette declaring emergency rule, you will see that it grants the administrator sweeping powers. Yes, sweeping powers. But fortunately for Rivers residents, the administrator has exercised restraint.”

He described the continuing demonstrations as a significant challenge to the administrator’s authority.

“These protests, for whatever reason, are testing the administrator’s will. We urge Rivers residents to be restrained. It is important that we allow a cool head to prevail at this time. All hands must be on deck to restore democratic institutions.”

Igbikiowubo added that peaceful protest should not be confused with threats or disruption.

“Such actions are unnecessary,” he said, emphasizing that the re-establishment of governance structures will not come through intimidation or unrest.

He also disclosed that Ibas is engaging with key groups as part of a broader peace initiative.

“The administrator met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state today (Tuesday). They had lengthy discussions, and the CAN leadership provided advice on the way forward and the things they would like to see done.”

“This meeting took place at the administrator’s initiative, and he is making arrangements to meet with other important stakeholders in the state.”

According to Igbikiowubo, these engagements underscore Ibas’s intentions to return the state to democratic governance.

“This speaks to his preparedness, his mindset. He is fully committed to restoring democracy in Rivers State,” he said.

When asked about the administrator’s response to a pending invitation from the House of Representatives, Igbikiowubo replied briefly: “No, we don’t have a date yet.”

Meanwhile, a coalition of concerned Rivers State citizens has challenged the legality of the emergency rule, describing it as unconstitutional.

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and shared with the National Assembly and international organizations, the group demanded that the decision be reversed and all suspended officials reinstated.

The letter, signed by notable figures including Donu Kogbara, Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, Dane Ibim Semenitari, Lloyd F. Ukwu (NADECO USA), Julie Dyer, and 19 others, took strong exception to the President’s action.

It reads in part “Dear President Tinubu. We, the People of Rivers State and concerned citizens of Nigeria, write to express our utmost outrage and condemnation of your recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the subsequent suspension of the democratically elected governor, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

The group accused Tinubu of violating constitutional procedures under Section 305(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which they said only permits emergency declarations under specific circumstances such as war, external aggression, or a breakdown of public order that overwhelms law enforcement.

“This action reflects a blatant disregard for the constitutional rights of the people of Rivers State and is a gross abuse of executive power. It is not only dangerously unconstitutional but also undermines the democratic principles upon which our nation is built,” the letter continued.

The signatories alleged the emergency rule amounted to federal overreach and an erosion of democratic norms, calling for a comprehensive investigation into those who advised the President.

“We urge you to respect the quasi-autonomy of Rivers State and allow the democratic process to proceed without interference. The people of Rivers State have the right to self-determination and to choose their leaders without external influence,” the group concluded.

Former members of the 7th National Assembly elected under the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have distanced themselves from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over allegations of plotting to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

At a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday, the ex-lawmakers made it clear that Malami and El-Rufai lacked the legitimacy to represent the CPC’s legacy.

They insisted that only elected officials of the former CPC held the right to speak on the party’s behalf.

Nasiru Ila, who led the delegation, sharply criticised Malami for undermining the leadership of former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura.

Malami had earlier dismissed Al-Makura’s CPC faction and claimed that only the faction aligned with former President Muhammadu Buhari—which included himself—had the authority to interact with the new opposition coalition led by ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and El-Rufai.

Responding to that assertion, Ila, a former Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on National Assembly Matters, stated “Neither Malami nor any group outside the elected CPC representatives had the authority to speak on behalf of the party.”

He went further to highlight their electoral mandate “We, the former elected members of the CPC from the 7th Assembly and many more who stood for elections, won and were subsequently robbed of their hard-earned, hard-won, yet short-lived victories, remain the only legitimate and authentic voice of the defunct CPC.”

“We are the true custodians of the party’s legacy and the representatives of the twelve million Nigerians, predominantly in northern Nigeria, who entrusted us with their mandate.”

Aliyu Gedin, another former CPC legislator, voiced dismay over what he described as marginalisation of their group, though he reaffirmed their allegiance to the APC.

He lamented that the party had become infiltrated by individuals without the foundational ties or values of the legacy party.

“However, it does not negate the fact that we are bona fide members of the APC. Political parties are supposed to nurture those who invested in them, but we still have a situation where we have usurpers, interlopers, and criminals jumping in through the window,” Gedin said.

He added: “I will not sit down here and say we are okay with the government. It has never been my nature. It is not the nature of the CPC.”

“Certainly, it is not the nature or in our DNA to shy away from the truth. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing right in a lot of things, but there is still room to improve. There’s still room for correction.”

Other prominent attendees at the briefing included Senator Ibrahim Musa, Ibrahim Gobir, Sanusi Aliyu, Mohammed Tukur (Katsina Central), Senator Ahmed Sani, Ibrahim Chachangi, Yusuf Bala, and Garuba Datti, who served as the 7th Assembly Caucus Leader and is now APC National Vice Chairman (North-West).

Ifeanyi Okowa, 

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has expressed strong approval of the recent defection of former Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and the incumbent Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing it as a bold endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

The commendation came through a statement issued on Wednesday by Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, in Abuja.

Dr. Okowa, who was the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 general election, officially switched allegiance to the APC alongside Governor Oborevwori and several PDP leaders in Delta State—effectively dismantling the PDP’s political structure in the state.

Describing the move as a clear show of confidence in President Tinubu’s governance, Wike said the defection underscores the growing recognition of the President’s dedication to national development.

“I commend Okowa and Gov. Oborevwori for this heart-warming decision, which must have been informed by good governance and commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the oneness and development of Nigeria,” the minister stated.

Wike urged more Nigerians to take a definitive stance and join in supporting Tinubu’s administration, rather than remaining undecided or disengaged.

“That is what I have always told people to come out and say, not to be running up and down when they have problems.

They have come out at the right time to show support for Mr President so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit more from the government, and I commend them for it,” Wike said.

He further noted that Okowa’s public declaration of support for Tinubu vindicates his own decision to back the President in the lead-up to the 2023 elections.

According to Wike, “Okowa’s open endorsement of Tinubu is a vindication of the position I took in 2023, which was based on the interest of a united Nigeria.

“I am particularly happy that what I saw before the 2023 presidential election, others are now seeing and are joining the ‘Renewed Hope train’.”

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State officially joined the growing list of sitting governors who have defected from one political party to another while still in office.

On Wednesday, he announced his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was welcomed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by senior party figures.

Oborevwori’s political shift, while significant, follows a familiar pattern in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

Over the years, several governors have crossed party lines mid-tenure, often reshaping the political dynamics in their respective states.

Sheriff Oborevwori
Having won the 2023 governorship election under the PDP, Oborevwori’s switch to the APC was officially confirmed during a press briefing.

Senator Ebiowou Manager and Information Commissioner Aniagwu Charles described the development as one with “serious implications for 2027.”

Aminu Tambuwal
The former governor of Sokoto State has a well-documented history of political movement. He initially defected from the PDP to the APC while serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In 2018, he returned to the PDP while still governor and contested for the party’s presidential ticket, which he lost to Atiku Abubakar—himself a political defector from the APC back to the PDP.

Tambuwal is not the only Sokoto leader with such a history.

Other notable defections include:

• Attahiru Bafarawa: From the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) to PDP
• Aliyu Wamakko: From PDP to APC

Abdulfatah Ahmed
The former Kwara State governor gained attention for multiple party switches.

He defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013, and later returned to the PDP in 2018.

Boni Haruna
While governing Adamawa State between 1999 and 2007, Haruna defected from the PDP to the Action Congress (AC).

Ikedi Ohakim
Ohakim was elected governor of Imo State in 2007. During his tenure, he left the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and joined the PDP.

Murtala Nyako
Governor of Adamawa from 2007 to 2008, Nyako also changed allegiance, leaving the APC for the PDP.

Rochas Okorocha
Elected as Imo State governor in 2011 under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Okorocha later defected to the APC while still in office.

Additional defections include:

• Mahmuda Shinkafi (Zamfara): From ANPP to PDP
• Bello Matawalle (Zamfara): From PDP to APC

Several other states have witnessed similar shifts by sitting governors, including Benue, Ondo, Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Kano, Kebbi, and Jigawa.