President Bola Tinubu yesterday summoned the immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid mounting scrutiny over the state’s finances during his six-month stewardship.
Sources confirmed that Ibas, dressed in brown native attire, arrived at the State House around 5:50 p.m., accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede.
Edun, who had earlier entered the villa carrying a file, later returned with it, underscoring the weight of the engagement.
Ibas ceased to function as administrator on September 17, following the expiration of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers in March.
At its first sitting after the intervention, the Rivers House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved to probe the management of state funds under his watch.
Lawmakers said they were determined to examine expenditures from the consolidated revenue fund, particularly contract awards.
Records indicate Rivers received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, the period Ibas served.
The retired naval officer has, however, dismissed the probe, insisting his administration acted within the law.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed speculations of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
State chairman, Dr. Robinson Ewor, said the governor had not communicated such a move to the party and maintained that any political decision taken would remain personal.
The speculation gained traction after Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who chairs the APC Governors’ Forum, was seen ushering Fubara into Tinubu’s office on Monday.
Fubara’s silence on his party during his statewide broadcast after resuming office also fueled concerns.
Former Senate Majority Whip, Mohammed Ndume (APC, Borno South), speaking in Port Harcourt during the 2nd 2025 ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar, urged the Rivers executive and legislature to work in harmony.
He cautioned against actions that could trigger another round of political instability in the state.
Ndume said: “Democracy rests on the three arms of government—the executive, legislature, and judiciary. They must function independently but in partnership to serve the people. If you remove one, democracy collapses.”
He commended Fubara for displaying restraint during the six-month emergency rule, describing his conduct as a mark of maturity in leadership.