Supporters of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, have embarked on a move to prevent the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas(rtd) from staying in office beyond the six months assigned to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Despite the peace deal brokered by the President for Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike, there are fears among the supporters of the governor that he might have to wait beyond the six months of emergency rule before he gets reinstated.
Tinubu appointed and swore-in Ibas as Rivers Sole administrator in March following the political crisis that rocked Rivers due to the disagreement between Wike and Fubara over who controls the state’s politics.
Ibas’ tenure is supposed to end in September, and Fubara’s reinstatement is supposed to follow suit, having mended fences with Wike, but supporters of Fubara, who had decried the terms given to the governor for peace to reign have alleged that efforts were on to extend Ibas’ tenure.
The renewed bid for the reinstatement of Fubara kicked off earlier in the week with some of his key supporters taking to the social media to go philosophical and spiritual over the plight of the governor, stressing the need for him to complete the good work he has started.
Some Fubara’s supporters went into action after a group, the National Patriotic Front, praised Ibas for demonstrating uncommon leadership in guiding Rivers through one of its most delicate phases in recent history.
The group also said that Ibas had within six months embarked on a “bold and transformative step” in stabilising the state under emergency rule, and had succeeded in “restoring calm, strengthening institutions, and initiating critical projects reshaping the state’s development trajectory.
“The National Patriotic Front salutes the courage, clarity and sense of duty that Admiral Ibas has brought to Rivers State. What many thought would be a lost period of drift has become, under his watch, a season of renewal and a rebirth of confidence in governance.”
Apart from interpreting the group’s statement as an “open endorsement of emergency rule and it’s extension,” Fubara’s supporters have also read meaning for Ibas’ recent request for more funds to complete some projects he started.
They claimed that the sole administrator wants to execute the recently approved budget of the state, noting that his promise to execute more projects even though he knows that his time has almost ended point to the way of extension.
One of the governor’s supporters, said that despite the calm necessitated by the peace agreement between Fubara and Wike, the people of the state are eagerly awaiting for the exit of Ibas, and for the governor to resume office.
“By now, he should be preparing to leave the office of Sole Administrator of Rivers State for the elected governor to resume office and complete the good work he has started. Lately, rather than wanting to leave, the sole administrator is promising to do more projects, and even solicit for funds to complete his projects.
“You do not ask for more funds towards the tail end of you tenure as sole administrator. Ibas should be thanking the people of Rivers for their cooperation; for being peaceful and law-abiding in face of the truncation of democracy in the state.
“The pledge came following an extensive inspection tour of key media institutions, including Rivers State Television (RSTV), Radio Rivers FM, The Tide Newspaper, Garden City FM, and the State Printing Press.”
Vice Admiral Ibas, who described the media as “indispensable to societal survival and development,” emphasised the need for urgent intervention to restore these critical platforms.
“Without the media, we wonder how society would survive,” he stated.
“We must identify key areas requiring intervention and ensure our media houses operate at the standards expected by the public.”
But a group, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR), cautioned against the extension of emergency rule, noting that it was an aberration that has no place in the constitution.
The group’s chancellor, Dr. Omenazu Jackson, said that the people of Rivers were tired of emergency rule and wanted the President to reinstate Fubara.
Jackson said: “The state of emergency itself is an aberration. It is an illegality because it lacks constitutional backing. They brought a man without electoral value to head a state like Rivers State and now there are fears all over that they want to extend his tenure.
“But they should know that Rivers people are no fools or cowards. They tolerated the six months of emergency rule in the interest of peace. But they should know by now that there is absolutely no need to extend Ibas’ emergency rule.”
