President Bola Tinubu has appointed Admiral Ibokette Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as administrator of Rivers State.
The appointment came after the president proclaimed a state of emergency in the state, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and the state legislature for six months.
Tinubu made the announcement on Tuesday, during a national broadcast.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate,” he said.
Tinubu stated that the decision was made to restore stability in the state, which has been experiencing political unrest as a result of a disagreement between the state governor and the state legislature.
