Sources revealed that during a closed-door meeting last Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu directed the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd.), to prepare a comprehensive handover note before embarking on his 10-day vacation. The document, according to insiders, must detail all funds inherited from Fubara, revenues accrued during the emergency rule, expenditures, and the projects executed within the six-month stewardship.
This directive effectively collapsed moves within the National Assembly to extend Ibas’ tenure by another three months, which would have kept him in charge until December. Advocates of the extension had argued it would give him time to complete major projects such as the reconstruction of the demolished House of Assembly complex, the ongoing workers’ verification exercise, and the installation of sensitive government equipment.
However, the peace deal struck has made September 18 the decisive date. Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, who has been a key player in Rivers’ political crisis, reportedly opposed any backdoor scheme to prolong the emergency rule, insisting that democratic structures must be restored “as soon as practicable.”
Wike had earlier told reporters after voting in the August 30 local government elections that the governor and lawmakers were ready to return. His position was echoed two days later by APC state chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, who declared the September 18 date “sacrosanct.”
Political observers note that the timing is significant: September 18 marks exactly six months since President Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state to douse tensions between Wike and Fubara.
A Port Harcourt-based human rights activist told KogiTribune that lifting the suspension was not only politically expedient but also necessary for Nigeria’s image abroad. “The President will be in New York for the United Nations General Assembly shortly after. To avoid backlash from advanced democracies and global media, restoring Rivers’ democratic institutions is the only morally right step,” he said.
Governor Fubara, currently in London with his family, is expected back in Nigeria soon. Upon his return, sources disclosed, he will be presented with a new list of commissioners and political appointees to resume governance.
