The Administrator of Rivers State, His Excellency Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has announced that the directive entrusted to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has been “sufficiently achieved” with the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots level.
The declaration was made at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the presentation of the comprehensive report on the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Vice Admiral Ibas noted that the peaceful conduct of the elections and the swearing-in of Chairmen and Councillors across all 23 Local Government Areas directly fulfilled the presidential order given to him on March 18, 2025.
“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilize 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 that mandate,” he said.
The Administrator commended RSIEC for organizing a credible electoral process. “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 added.
He assured that the RSIEC report would be carefully reviewed, with a government white paper to follow, while also thanking his team, security agencies, and state officials for their cooperation.
RSIEC Chairman Dr. Mike Odey, who presented the report, described the exercise as a “historic achievement” for both Rivers State and the nation. He explained that the report covers all phases of the electoral process, from the notice of election to collation and declaration of results.
“The report highlights our modest achievements, challenges, and key recommendations that will strengthen future elections in Rivers State,” Dr. Odey stated. He emphasized that the Commission operated under the provisions of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law of 2018 (as amended), attributing success to strong collaboration with political parties, civil society groups, and security agencies.
Dr. Odey also thanked the Administrator for “adequate and sufficient” funding, which he said made the achievement possible. “In the history of election management in Nigeria, whether at national or sub-national level, no institution has ever organized, coordinated, conducted, and supervised a complete electoral process within 30 days. With all modesty, I have no regrets in stating this fact for the record,” he said.
He concluded by commending Rivers people for their peaceful participation and praying for the state’s progress.
What you should know
Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas declared President Tinubu’s mandate fulfilled after peaceful local government elections in Rivers State.
RSIEC Chairman Dr. Mike Odey hailed the process as historic, citing unprecedented speed and transparency. The elections, held across 23 LGAs, restored grassroots democracy and were widely commended for fairness and credibility.
