Reps Clip FEC’s Wings, Order Rivers State Administrator Ibas to Report to National Assembly
– Tensions Mount as Emergency Rule Rewrites the Power Map in Rivers State
ABUJA – March 21, 2025 | IDNN POLITICS & POWER
In a bold assertion of legislative authority, the House of Representatives has amended the terms of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State, directing newly appointed Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) to report directly to the National Assembly, not the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
This follows the controversial approval of a state of emergency in Rivers, which effectively removed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire State House of Assembly from office. The sweeping decision was made after Speaker Abbas Tajudeen read President Bola Tinubu’s letter just before deliberations began.
Though passed by voice vote—and not the standard headcount—the Speaker claimed 243 members were present when the approval sailed through.
Citing Section 11, Subsection 4 of the Nigerian Constitution, the House insisted that Ibas, who now holds sweeping executive powers over Rivers State for an initial six-month period, must report back to them—not the FEC—as a check against unilateral executive overreach.
A Dangerous Precedent?
The move to remove elected officials and install a federally appointed administrator has already sparked widespread condemnation from civic groups, opposition parties, and democracy advocates. Critics call it a coup against democratic governance, arguing that it dangerously undermines state autonomy and the electoral mandate of Rivers people.
The Senate, meanwhile, has reportedly requested Ibas to report directly to them as well, further complicating the reporting line and raising constitutional concerns about overlapping oversight.
As power tussles continue to unfold in Abuja and Port Harcourt, many Nigerians are asking: Is this about restoring order, or consolidating federal control?