Emergency Rule: I Have Fulfilled My Mandate In Rivers — Ibas

Rivers State sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), has declared the mandate handed to him by President Bola Tinubu has been “sufficiently achieved”, following the successful restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots level.

Ibas disclosed this at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during a ceremony where the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) presented the comprehensive report of the recently concluded local government elections.

He stated that the peaceful conduct of the polls and the subsequent swearing-in of democratically elected chairmen and councillors across all 23 local government areas marked the direct fulfillment of the presidential directive issued to him on March 18, 2025.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance.

“With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” he said.

Ibas commended RSIEC for organising what he described as a fair, credible, and transparent electoral process, which has been widely praised within and beyond the state.

“For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people went out freely to express themselves and to select whom they wanted as their leaders. This is a testament to the peaceful and enabling environment we have collectively fostered,” he remarked.

The state sole administrator gave the assurance that his administration would meticulously review the RSIEC report and issue an official government white paper in due course.

He extended his profound appreciation to his team, security agencies, and state officials for their collaborative effort and synergy, noting that “this is what it takes to build nations.”

Earlier, while presenting the detailed report, the chairman of RSIEC, Dr. Mike Odey, described the election as a “historic achievement” for the state and the country.

Odey revealed that the document provided a full account of the entire process, from the initial notice of election to stakeholder engagements, polling, collation of results, and the final announcement of winners.

“The report highlights our modest achievements, our challenges, and provides key recommendations that will strengthen future elections in Rivers State,” he said.

The RSIEC chairman emphasised that the Commission operated strictly in accordance with the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law of 2018 (as amended) and credited the election’s success to robust collaboration with political parties, civil society organizations, and security agencies.

Dr. Odey also expressed the Commission’s gratitude to the Administrator for providing “adequate and sufficient” funding, which enabled an unprecedented feat in Nigerian electoral management.

“In the history of election management in Nigeria, be it national or sub-national, no institution has ever organized, coordinated, conducted, and supervised a complete electoral process within a period of 30 days. With all modesty, I have no regrets in stating this fact for the record,” he declared.