The Ad-Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on Rivers State has postponed its scheduled interactive session with the state’s Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, following a formal request from the administrator.
Originally set for Thursday, April 17 at 4:00 PM at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, the high-profile session was intended to serve as a comprehensive oversight engagement regarding the administration of Rivers State under the current emergency rule.
Committee spokesman Akin Rotimi confirmed the postponement in an official statement, noting: “The Committee has acknowledged the request and is in the process of coordinating a new date for the session. In keeping with our commitment to transparent and effective oversight, we will promptly inform the public once the rescheduled date is confirmed.”
This development comes exactly one month after President Bola Tinubu’s controversial imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, which saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all state assembly members for six months. The president appointed Ibas as administrator under constitutional provisions allowing such measures during perceived crises.
The emergency declaration, justified under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, was swiftly ratified by the National Assembly within 48 hours despite widespread condemnation from political figures including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi, as well as organizations like the Nigerian Bar Association and PANDEF. Legal experts, including Femi Falana, have questioned the constitutionality of suspending elected officials under the emergency provisions.
This would have marked the first formal legislative scrutiny of Ibas’ administration since his appointment. The rescheduling raises questions about the ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, where the emergency rule has drawn comparisons to the last such measure in 2013, when President Goodluck Jonathan declared emergency rule in three northeastern states battling insurgency.
