President Bola Tinubu has summoned the immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, in a meeting signaling high-level deliberations concerning the state’s recent administration.
Ibas arrived at the presidential villa at approximately 5:50 p.m., dressed in brown native attire, and was closely accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukayede.
Earlier, Minister Edun had entered the villa briefly but left and returned carrying a file, indicating the seriousness of the meeting.
Vice Admiral Ibas served as the sole administrator of Rivers State for six months under a federal emergency rule that ended on September 17. His tenure concluded following President Tinubu’s directive for the suspended state governor, Sir Sim Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly members to resume office.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, chaired by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had, during its first plenary session after the conclusion of the emergency rule, announced plans to investigate the state’s financial activities during Ibas’ administration. The House’s resolution stated the probe would aim “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.”
Ibas had previously rejected the decision to scrutinize the state’s expenditure under his leadership. It was reported that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025 during his tenure as administrator.
The meeting at Aso Villa is widely viewed as part of ongoing federal oversight and reconciliation efforts following the six-month emergency rule in the oil-rich state.
