Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has declared that the emergency mandate assigned to him by President Bola Tinubu in March has been “successfully achieved,” following the conclusion of local government elections and the swearing-in of elected officials across the state.
Ibas made the announcement in Port Harcourt while receiving the comprehensive election report from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
“Mr. President’s directive was clear: stabilize the state, restore its institutions, and return Rivers State to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and inauguration of local government councils, we have fulfilled that mandate,” Ibas said.
He emphasized that the elections, conducted just six months after Tinubu imposed a controversial state of emergency in Rivers, were peaceful and credible. “For once, an election was held where no one was harassed, and people freely chose their leaders,” he added, praising RSIEC for its transparent process.
The Administrator also announced that the government would review the RSIEC report and issue a white paper, while expressing gratitude to security agencies and state officials for their cooperation.
RSIEC Chairman, Mike Odey, described the elections as a “historic achievement,” highlighting that no electoral body in Nigeria had previously organized and completed an entire election cycle within 30 days.
“In Nigeria’s electoral history, no institution at national or sub-national level has conducted and concluded an entire electoral process within 30 days. I humbly present this as an unprecedented record,” Odey said.
The elections follow President Tinubu’s declaration of a six-month state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, which led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly. The measure was taken amid a deepening political conflict between Fubara and his former political ally, Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
