Barely 24 hours after appointing the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Head of Service, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, has directed all Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGA) to submit the report of their councils to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
 
A statement by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Itong Awani, ordered that the HLGA should adhere to the format listed below and ensure that the documents reach the office of the undersigned on or before yesterday, March 26, 2025, for onward transmission to the office of the Sole Administrator, the Government House, Port Harcourt, for further necessary action.
  
The submission template includes an introduction, functions of the council, number of staff on nominal roll cadre by cadre, sources of revenue generation in the council, activities of the council – ongoing and completed projects for the past two years, achievements of the council, challenges, recommendations and conclusion.

MEANWHILE, sources close to the Government House on Monday, raised concern over alleged plans by Ibas to announce new local council heads in the state, warning that the move is in blatant disregard for democratic principles and a violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which reaffirmed that local councils must be governed by elected officials, not handpicked appointees.
  
Condemning the move, the Coordinator of the Peoples Advocate, Courage Nsirimovu, said the plot by Ibas to appoint administrators for the 23 local councils of the state was a gimmick contrived by President Bola Tinubu, through his agent, Ibas, to yield control of the third tier of government in Rivers State to the advantage of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in furtherance of their odious objective of state capture. 

 Nsirimovu said: “We are aware the Sole Administrator, appointed by Tinubu is not responsible to the people of Rivers and, therefore, every step he takes is geared towards satisfying the objective of defeating democracy, silencing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and advancing the selfish, private vendetta of the President and his cohorts at the expense of the suffering people of the state.”  He, therefore, urged Tinubu and the sole administrator to exercise restraints in their unlawful meddling in the administration of Rivers State. 

HOWEVER, the United States of America (U.S.A) chapter of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) has called on Ibas to resign, asking the people of the state to reject him. 
 
The group argued that while Nigeria operates as a federation, Rivers State is a sovereign entity within it.  NADECO made the call in a statement dated March 26, 2025, issued by its President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO),  Lloyd F. Ukwu, which was marked  “NADECO’s Call  To  The  Illegal  Administrator, Resign now! And to Rivers people: Stand Firm and Soundly Reject The Administrator immediately.”
 
The group noted that President Bola Tinubu lacks the constitutional authority to unilaterally suspend an elected governor like Siminalayi Fubara. It pointed out that Rivers State is not a subordinate institution, nor is it a High School whose principal is Tinubu who can suspend a student at will.

It is described as absurd and unjust for a President, whose mandate is contested, to attempt the removal of a legally and duly elected governor, stressing that it is a glaring irony that a leader accused of electoral fraud is seeking to undermine democratic governance in Rivers.