Ibas Vs Fubara: Can A Sole Administrator Summon An Elected Governor?

Social media and various news platforms have been awash with reports that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has summoned suspended Governor Siminialayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Ordu, to appear before a panel of inquiry regarding political and administrative appointments made in the last two years.

While this report has been claimed as another fake report, one critical question continues to dominate public discourse: can a sole administrator—an unelected appointee—legitimately summon a democratically elected governor?

The optics alone raise eyebrows. Fubara was elected by the people, through the ballot, to govern Rivers State. Even though he is currently suspended, the notion of a panel, constituted by an appointed administrator, demanding his appearance to explain the appointments he made while in office is sparking constitutional and moral debates across the nation.

While the alleged inquiry is said to be aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability, critics argue that it sets a dangerous precedent where electoral mandates could be undermined by executive fiat. If indeed this summons is true, many see it as a further escalation of the political conflict in the state, not a path toward peace.

It’s important to remember how the Rivers crisis began. The rift between Governor Fubara and key political actors in the state—most notably his predecessor and power broker, Nyesom Wike—quickly escalated into a full-blown political standoff. What started as subtle disagreements over control and loyalty snowballed into impeachment threats, parallel legislatures, and eventually the controversial suspension of the governor himself.

This latest development—if verified—may well be another chapter in what is becoming one of the most turbulent political sagas in Nigeria’s democratic history.
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