•Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) and map of Rivers State
Yesterday, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following the protracted political crisis in the state.
Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast last night, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy Ngozi Odu; and all the members of the House of Assembly for six months, reports Channels TV.
The president nominated Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for the first six months.
Here are quick facts about the new administrator in the oil-rich state:
1. He was the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021.
2. He was born in Cross River where he is from and had his early education there.
3. He went to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 from where he proceeded to have a successful career in the Navy, rising through the ranks to the very top.
4. He is a member of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
5. President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him as Chief of Naval Staff conferred him with the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.
6. He is married with three children.
