Group hails Ibas for restoring peace, championing good governance
The National Patriotic Front has hailed Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), for restoring peace and championing transparent governance under emergency rule.
The group, in a statement issued by its president, Marcus Dakas, described him as the “saving grace” as the state heads into its August 30, 2025, local government elections.
It’s noted that the development comes exactly five months after Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and members of the state legislature were suspended for six months.
“The National Patriotic Front salutes the courage, clarity and sense of duty that Admiral Ibas has brought to Rivers State.
“What many thought would be a lost period of drift has become, under his watch, a season of renewal and a rebirth of confidence in governance.
“His interventions in security, infrastructure and preparations for democratic transition deserve recognition from all Nigerians,” Dakas said.
Meanwhile, the NPF pointed to improved security as the bedrock of Ibas’ tenure, crediting the Sole Administrator with instituting joint patrols that have quelled violent crime and communal unrest across Port Harcourt and its environs.
“The Sole Administrator has succeeded in bringing tremendous peace to Rivers State. Markets are bustling again, businesses are reopening with confidence, and residents are experiencing a sense of safety long absent from their daily lives. This renewed atmosphere is one of the most profound achievements of his administration,” Dakas noted.
With the elections just weeks away, the group argued that this stability was essential for credible grassroots polls.
“By empowering RVSIEC and fixing a date for grassroots elections, Admiral Ibas has shown his sincerity of purpose.
“He has no hidden agenda but is only a steward of this transition. His commitment to democratic restoration should reassure Rivers people and silence the cynics,” the statement read.
Beyond security, the NPF hailed Ibas for pushing ahead with critical projects: “the reconstruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, completion of the Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt, and his insistence on accountability in the N150bn Port Harcourt Ring Road project.”
The group also highlighted the recent oversight visit by the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rivers State led by House Leader Professor Julius Ihonvbere, which commended Ibas’ stewardship and pledged support for democratic restoration.
“The endorsement from the federal legislature is a strong signal that the emergency administration is not only succeeding but has achieved its goal. We urge Rivers people to sustain their cooperation with the Sole Administrator in the months ahead,” the NPF said.
Concluding, Dakas framed the “emergency rule not as a pause in governance but as a transformative moment in the state’s history.”
