The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has declared that the mandate entrusted to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been fulfilled.
The announcement was made on Friday at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the presentation of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) report on the just-concluded council polls.
Recall that President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, following the prolonged political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Following the declaration, Ibas was mandated to oversee the governance of the state after Fubara and state legislators were suspended.
The administrator said the presidential directive was clear, being to restore order, re-establish democratic institutions, and stabilise the state.
“With the peaceful conduct of local government elections and the swearing-in of elected chairmen and councillors across all 23 LGAs, I can confidently say the mandate has been achieved,” Ibas stated.
He commended RSIEC for what he described as a credible and transparent process, noting that voters were able to freely choose their leaders without intimidation. He further pledged that the commission’s report would be thoroughly reviewed and a government white paper issued in due course.
Earlier, RSIEC Chairman Dr. Mike Odey presented the comprehensive election report, describing the exercise as historic. He stressed that the polls were conducted strictly under the provisions of the RSIEC Law of 2018 and credited the success to collaboration with political parties, civil society groups, and security agencies.
Odey highlighted that the commission managed to organise and conclude the entire electoral process within 30 days. He said it is an unprecedented feat in Nigeria’s electoral history and thanked the Administrator for ensuring adequate funding.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara, who is allegedly on vacation abroad, is expected to return to office next week as the emergency rule expires.