Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Sole Administrator for Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), for breaching a presidential order.
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The Senior Advocate, on Thursday, argued that the retired naval chief contravened the directives contained in the Official Gazette dated March 18, 2025, titled “State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025.”
Falana stated that the gazette clearly indicated that the Sole Administrator “shall operate on the basis of such Regulations that may, from time to time, be issued by me (Tinubu).”
“It is common knowledge that President Bola Tinubu has not issued any regulation for the operation of the Sole Administrator. Yet, the Sole Administrator has made appointments and removed officials appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“By treating the orders of President Bola Tinubu with contempt, the Sole Administrator has compounded the illegality of his appointment. The Sole Administrator ought to be removed without any further delay,” Falana said.
President Bola Tinubu swore in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) as Sole Administrator for Rivers State in Abuja on March 19, 2025.
Tinubu had announced Ibas’s appointment on March 18, 2025, when he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The President based his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that he could not continue to watch the political situation in Rivers escalate without taking action.
The Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on Rivers State has summoned Ibas for a “comprehensive interactive session” in Abuja.
Ibas served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021. He was born in Cross River State, where he also had his early education.
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