The newly appointed Sole Administrator for Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (retired), has pledged to maintain law and order in the South-South state.
Speaking after his swearing-in by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Vice Admiral Ibas stated, “If the main issue is that of maintaining law and order in the state, I think for any meaningful activities to take place in Rivers State, that is the utmost task that I have.”
He also promised to collaborate with stakeholders to restore peace and stability to the state.
This appointment follows President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which included the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly for six months.
Reactions to the Declaration:
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has strongly condemned the president’s actions, calling for the National Assembly to reject the declaration. CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), accused President Tinubu of “taking sides” in the political crisis and enabling undue influence from former Governor Nyesom Wike. They argued that the situation in Rivers State does not meet the constitutional requirements for a state of emergency.
“Schools, hospitals, markets, and government institutions continue to function normally. There has been no outbreak of violence, nor has the governor requested such an extreme measure,” CISLAC stated. They warned the move was an attempt to unseat a duly elected governor.
Similarly, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has labelled the president’s actions an “egregious assault on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy”. They asserted that the president’s reliance on Section 305 of the constitution was a “blatant misinterpretation of the law” and called on the National Assembly to “refuse to approve this illegal declaration”.
Former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, also criticised the declaration, calling it a “dangerous affront to the nation’s democracy”. He described the suspension of elected officials as “unilateral and reckless” and urged the National Assembly to reject it. “A democratically elected State Governor cannot be removed from office by a proclamation of Mr. President,” Mr Amaechi stated. He urged well-meaning Nigerians, particularly state governors, to oppose the “unlawful actions” of the president.
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