Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral (Retd.) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has announced that the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu during the emergency rule in the state has been “sufficiently achieved” through the restoration of grassroots democratic governance.
Ibas made this known on Friday at the government house in Port Harcourt during the presentation of the comprehensive report on the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
He explained that the peaceful conduct of the elections and the swearing-in of chairmen and councillors across all 23 LGAs signified the fulfilment of the directive issued to him on March 18, 2025.
“Mr President’s mandate to me was clear: stabilise the state, re-establish its institutions, and return Rivers State to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and inauguration of local government councils, we have decisively delivered on that mandate,” he said.
The administrator commended RSIEC for delivering what he described as a credible, transparent, and widely praised election.
“For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people freely made their choice of leaders. This reflects the enabling environment we collectively built,” he added.
He assured that the RSIEC report would be thoroughly examined, with a government white paper to be released afterward. He also appreciated his team, security agencies, and state officials, noting that “nation-building requires synergy and shared commitment.”
On his part, RSIEC Chairman Mike Odey hailed the election as a “historic achievement” for Rivers State and Nigeria. He explained that the report detailed the entire process — from the issuance of election notices and stakeholder engagements to polling, collation, and declaration of winners.
“The document outlines our achievements, challenges, and recommendations to strengthen future elections in the state,” Odey said, stressing that the exercise adhered strictly to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law of 2018 (as amended).
He further credited the success to collaboration with political parties, civil society groups, and security agencies, while appreciating the Administrator for providing “adequate and sufficient” funding.
“In Nigeria’s electoral history, no institution at national or sub-national level has organised and concluded an entire electoral process within 30 days. With modesty, I state this as an unprecedented record,” he declared.
Odey commended the people of Rivers for their peaceful participation and prayed for the continued progress of the state.
The development comes after months of political crisis between Governor Sim Fubara and the Martins Amaewhule-led camp, which led President Tinubu to impose a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, suspending the governor, his deputy, and the state assembly for six months.
Although Tinubu later reconciled the warring parties in June, Fubara, Wike, and Amaewhule have since appeared together at public events, including a funeral service in Wike’s hometown.