Governor Siminalayi Fubara avoided mentioning Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), the outgoing Sole Administrator, in his statewide broadcast to the people of Rivers State upon resuming office following the lifting of emergency rule.

In his address on Friday, Fubara expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his intervention in resolving the state’s political crisis, as well as to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, members of the National Assembly, and particularly to Nyesom Wike, whom he described as “our Leader.”

Governor Fubara, suspended since March 18, 2025, alongside his deputy and the state House of Assembly, was reinstated following six months of emergency rule.

In his speech, he thanked supporters, residents, and constituents, but notably omitted any formal acknowledgement of Ibas’ role in administering the state through the emergency period.

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The omission comes amid heightened tensions over how the emergency rule was handled and how authority was transferred back.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has passed a resolution to probe Ibas’s activities during his tenure as Sole Administrator.