Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), announced on Friday that he has fully delivered on the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu, citing the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots level as proof of success.
On Friday, at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Ibas announced the fulfillment of his mandate while receiving the report of the recently concluded local government elections from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
He reminded the gathering that President Bola Tinubu had, on March 18, 2025, tasked him with the responsibility of stabilising the state, rebuilding its institutions, and restoring democratic governance across Rivers State.
The administrator said the successful conduct of the polls and the swearing-in of elected chairmen and councillors across the 23 local governments had fulfilled that mandate.
“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise 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 the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.
He commended RSIEC for what he described as a credible and transparent election, noting that the exercise was conducted without harassment, and voters freely expressed their choices.
The administrator promised that the government would carefully study the RSIEC report and release a white paper on its findings, while also extending gratitude to his team, security agencies, and state officials for their joint contributions to the process.
Earlier, RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Mike Odey, hailed the election as a landmark accomplishment for both Rivers State and Nigeria, noting that it was planned, managed, and completed within just 30 days—an achievement he described as unmatched in the country’s electoral history.
“The report highlights our modest achievements, our challenges, and provides key recommendations that will strengthen future elections in Rivers State,” Odey said.
