President Bola Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the former Sole Administrator of Rivers State, at the Aso Villa Rock Villa in Abuja on Wednesday. Ibas, who served a six-month tenure, left office on September 17 after President Tinubu directed the suspended state governor, Sim Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly members to return to office.

Meeting Details

– Ibas arrived at the villa around 5:50 pm, dressed in brown native attire, accompanied by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
– Shortly after the meeting commenced, Edun briefly exited the villa and returned with a file in hand, indicating the seriousness of the meeting.

Background and Context

The meeting comes amid controversy surrounding the Rivers State House of Assembly’s decision to probe the state’s finances during Ibas’ six-month emergency rule. The House resolved to investigate the state’s expenditure, citing the need 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.”

– Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025, under Ibas’ tenure.
– Ibas rejected the decision to probe the state’s expenditure, describing it as a “fool’s errand”.

Implications and Next Steps

The outcome of the meeting between President Tinubu and Ibas remains unclear, but the development is significant given the ongoing controversy surrounding the state’s finances. The investigation into the state’s expenditure during Ibas’ tenure may have far-reaching implications for the state’s governance and accountability.¹ ²