A high-level meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key figures related to the recent political developments in Rivers State. Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd), the immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State, was reportedly summoned by President Tinubu. Also present were Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, though their specific involvement regarding the Rivers issue remained unclear.

The meeting occurred against the backdrop of a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, stemming from a power tussle between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara. To quell the turmoil, President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, subsequently appointing Ibas as the sole administrator. This declaration was endorsed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate on March 20, 2025, leading to the temporary suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ibas’s six-month tenure as administrator concluded last week, with power officially handed back to Governor Fubara following the lifting of the emergency rule on September 17, 2025. However, his administration has not been without controversy. Some stakeholders have called for an investigation into his tenure, accusing him of failing to improve infrastructure during his brief period in charge.

Photo Credit: BusinessDay

Further fueling the debate, the Rivers State House of Assembly, presided over by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved during its first plenary after the end of emergency rule to investigate state expenditure during the six months of emergency administration. The resolution specifically aimed “to explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.” Conversely, Ibas publicly rejected this decision to probe his administration’s financial dealings.

Official records reveal that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, coinciding with Ibas’s term as sole administrator. The presence of Minister Edun, who was observed entering, briefly leaving, and then returning with a file, underscored the perceived gravity of the engagement with the President, even though the exact agenda concerning all attendees was not immediately disclosed.