Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), on Thursday, failed to appear before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee overseeing the political situation in the state, despite a rescheduled invitation. Instead, he attended the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The session marked Ibas’s first participation in the NEC since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in March 2025, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The NEC meeting was presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima and had in attendance several governors and deputy governors from across the country.
Ibas was expected to brief lawmakers on the unfolding political developments and governance under the six-month state of emergency declared in Rivers on March 18, 2025. The committee, led by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, had rescheduled the meeting for April 24 following an earlier postponement at Ibas’s request.
However, despite being in Abuja, the Rivers administrator was absent once again. The lawmakers held a closed-door session but declined to comment on the no-show. When approached by journalists, Ihonvbere simply said, “no comment.”
President Tinubu’s emergency declaration saw the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the state legislature, with Ibas appointed as sole administrator to steer the state during the interim.
Thursday’s failed appearance has further fueled speculation and concern around the federal handling of the political crisis in Rivers State.
