Tension Rises As Rivers Sole Administrator Boycotts Crucial Reps Session—Twice

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), was absent from a scheduled meeting with the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee overseeing developments in Rivers State.

The committee, led by House Leader Professor Julius Ihonvbere, had summoned Ibas to provide insights into the political climate and administrative affairs of the state under the ongoing state of emergency.

This committee was set up following President Bola Tinubu’s March 18, 2025, declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, which resulted in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state’s legislative body. In response, Ibas was appointed to manage the state’s governance during the emergency period.

Despite being scheduled to appear on Thursday at 3:00 PM, Ibas failed to show up. The committee members held a closed-door session and exited without offering any public statements. When approached by the press, Professor Ihonvbere offered a terse response: “No comment.”

Notably, this isn’t the first rescheduling. The interactive session, originally fixed for April 17 at 4:00 PM, had been postponed at Ibas’s request to allow for a later date.