President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with the outgone Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ibas, who arrived at the Villa around 5:50 p.m. dressed in brown native attire, was accompanied 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 Olukoyede. Observers noted that shortly after the meeting began, Edun briefly stepped out and returned with a file in hand.
The meeting came just days after Ibas left office on September 17, following the end of his six-month tenure as Rivers State Sole Administrator. His appointment stemmed from Tinubu’s directive suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly during a political crisis in the state.
Following their reinstatement, the Rivers House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved to probe the state’s finances under Ibas. Lawmakers said the inquiry would cover expenditure from the consolidated revenue fund, including contracts awarded during the emergency rule.
Ibas has dismissed the probe as a “fool’s errand,” rejecting allegations of financial impropriety. Records show Rivers State received about ₦254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, during his tenure.
Details of Tinubu’s meeting with Ibas were not disclosed as of press time.
