Ibas Probe: Rivers Assembly, Wike May Clash

Trouble looms for Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), following insistence by Rivers Assembly led by RT. Hon. Martins Ameawhule, that the immediate-past Sole Administrator of the state must come and explain how he spent N254b for the period he presided over the affairs of Rivers State, even as President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday summoned Ibas to Abuja.

A report indicated that the decision by the Rivers legislature “is not going down well” with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Political watchers say the development may set the stage for a possible “battle” between the Assembly members and Wike.

The Rivers State House of Assembly, chaired by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had, during its first plenary session after the end of emergency rule, stated that it would investigate the state’s expenditure during the six months of emergency rule.

According to the resolutions of the House, “To explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”

Ibas had rejected the decision to probe the state’s expenditure over the last few months under him.

It was gathered that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025, under the tenure of the former sole administrator.

Recall that Ibas served six months as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state. He left office on September 17, following the end of the six-month emergency rule, after the President directed the suspended state governor, Sir Sim Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly members to return to office from Thursday, September 18, 2025.

During its first plenary session on resumption on September 18, the Rivers State House of Assembly, chaired by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had resolved that it would investigate the state’s expenditure during the six months of emergency rule.

The resolutions of the House stated that the move was to “explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”

Ibas had rejected the decision to probe the state’s expenditure over the last few months under him.

It was gathered that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025, under the tenure of the former sole administrator.

However, reports from Abuja revealed that President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, summoned the Rivers State Administrator to Aso Villa.

Witnesses said that Ibas, who arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:50 pm clad in brown native attire, was closely followed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukayede.

Earlier, Edun entered the villa but quickly left, only to return with a file in hand, signaling the seriousness of the meeting, though the objective of the meeting has yet to be established as at Press time.