The Sole Administrator appointed by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has ordered the dismissal of all political officeholders in the state.
The directive affects the Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff, all commissioners, chairpersons and members of boards, agencies, commissions, institutions, and parastatals. Also impacted are special advisers, special assistants, and senior special assistants.
A statement released on Wednesday by the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator instructed affected officials to hand over their responsibilities to the highest-ranking civil servants in their respective ministries, departments, and agencies. Where a permanent secretary is unavailable, the most senior director or administrative head will assume leadership.
The directive takes immediate effect from March 26, 2025.
This development follows an earlier order requiring all 23 local government councils in Rivers State to submit detailed reports on their activities, staffing, and revenue sources. The order, issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Dame Dr. Itong Awani, mandated councils to provide information on their workforce, finances, and completed projects over the past two years.
Political analysts see the move as part of a broader federal effort to consolidate control over Rivers State, which has been at the center of a power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former ally, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Despite a peace deal brokered by President Tinubu in late 2023, tensions continued, culminating in the federal government’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The appointment of a Sole Administrator and the latest mass dismissal of political appointees signal a further tightening of federal control over the oil-rich state.
