PORT HARCOURT — Barely 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu lifted the six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, opposition parties and civil society voices are demanding a probe into the tenure of the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd).
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly officially returned to office on Thursday, ending months of suspension that followed Tinubu’s March 18 proclamation of emergency rule. The decision, taken amid a heated face-off between Fubara and his predecessor, now FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, had sparked intense legal and political debate over its constitutionality.
During his tenure, Ibas claimed credit for restoring peace and stability to the state. At a public lecture in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, he declared that Rivers had “moved past nearly two years of political turbulence,” citing the successful conduct of the August 30 local government elections as proof of restored order.
But critics remain unconvinced. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have repeatedly called for accountability over how the state’s resources were managed under Ibas.
Leader Sampson, ADC chairman in Rivers, told DAILY POST:
“For the sake of accountability, Ibas needs to tell Nigerians what he did with Rivers State’s money — the projects he executed, revenues collected, and allocations received. If he has nothing to hide, he should give an account.”
However, some political actors doubt whether Governor Fubara has the will to initiate such a probe. PDP chieftain Austin Okai argued that scrutinizing Ibas’ administration would amount to indirectly questioning Wike and even Tinubu’s government.
“Probing Ibas is like probing Wike, and Fubara no longer has the political will to go that far,” Okai said.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, has resolved to investigate the state’s finances during Ibas’ six-month rule. The lawmakers also urged Governor Fubara to forward a list of commissioner nominees for screening as governance resumes fully in the state.
The probe, if carried out, could set the stage for a deeper political showdown in Rivers, where the scars of the recent crisis are still fresh.
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