'I Fulfilled Tinubu's Mandate'- Ibas Defends Tenure As Opposition Seeks Probe- Ekohotblog

Ibas Defends Tenure As Opposition Seeks Probe
PDP, NNPP, Labour condemn tenure, APC praises peace and stability.
Calls grow for EFCC, ICPC probe into Rivers’ financial management.

As Rivers State prepares for the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on September 18, the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has defended his six-month tenure, insisting he fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to stabilise the state during emergency rule.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ibas, appointed in March after a prolonged political crisis between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, said his administration laid the foundation for reconciliation and peace. Speaking at a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt on Sunday, he urged political leaders to put Rivers above personal ambition, stressing that “no political victory is worth the blood of our brothers and sisters.”

The state held local government elections on August 30, with the All Progressives Congress winning 20 seats and the Peoples Democratic Party securing three. Ibas noted that the peaceful polls signalled a return to democratic governance, adding that Rivers must nurture reconciliation efforts.

However, opposition parties have rejected his defence. The PDP described the emergency rule as unconstitutional and demanded a probe into his management of state resources. The New Nigeria Peoples Party dismissed the period as an “exercise in futility,” while the Labour Party alleged it served the political interests of Tinubu and Wike.

Civil society groups, including the Ijaw Youth Council and the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, accused Ibas of mismanaging state funds and dissolving legitimate institutions. Former Senator Lee Maeba also faulted the emergency rule, describing it as an abuse of power.

The APC, however, praised Ibas for maintaining peace and ensuring citizens’ rights, stating that his tenure provided stability in a tense period. As Fubara prepares to resume office, political stakeholders remain divided on the legacy of the six-month emergency rule.