Until the National Assembly approves the state of emergency that President Bola Tinubu has declared, there are signs that Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd), who was designated as Rivers State’s only administrator, will not assume control of the state’s activities.
Vice Admiral Ibas will assume leadership of Rivers State, Tinubu said in a nationwide speech on Tuesday. This comes amid a growing political crisis that has resulted in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and every member of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The move by President Tinubu to impose a state of emergency and suspend important state officials coincides with a political impasse between Governor Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Minister.
In order to address the ongoing crisis that has paralyzed the state’s governance, the declaration seeks to restore order.
Sources who talked to TheNation said that Vice Admiral Ibas has not yet taken over as Rivers State’s Governor, despite the president’s announcement. It is anticipated that he will only do so when the state of emergency is approved by the National Assembly.
No Military Involvement Inside Government House
Remarkably, TheNation reports that no military personnel have been stationed at the gate to Government House in Port Harcourt even after a state of emergency was declared.
In contrast to earlier reports that suggested military deployment, inquiries showed that neither military personnel nor tanks were positioned at the gates of Government House on Wednesday.
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Patrolling the grounds instead were members of the Department of State Security (DSS). Near the door were two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), which are frequently parked at the Government House by the police.
To implement the state of emergency, there were no extra military units present, nevertheless.
Fubara has left the Government House in Port Harcourt in the meantime.
The governor apparently left on Wednesday morning, before Ibas, the newly appointed Sole Administrator of the state, was expected to arrive, according to information obtained.
