Ten days after he was reinstated following the end of the emergency rule in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is yet to make key appointments.
Fubara was suspended from office on March 18, 2025, by President Bola Tinubu amid a deepening political crisis stemming from his power struggle with his predecessor and godfather, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The suspension was part of a broader declaration of a state of emergency in the state, which also affected Fubara’s deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, paralyzing democratic governance and halting legislative functions.
Tinubu justified the move as necessary to resolve the constitutional impasse that had brought state administration to a standstill, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as sole administrator to oversee operations for an initial six months.
The decision sparked widespread outrage, with opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar labeling it unconstitutional and a dangerous precedent for federal overreach, but Tinubu stood his ground.
Fubara was reinstated on September 18, 2025, exactly six months after his suspension, as the emergency period expired, allowing him, his deputy, and the assembly members to resume their roles.
Recall that the immediate past administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), a few days after assumption of office, suspended all commissioners appointed by Governor Fubara.
Also suspended by Ibas were Special Advisers and Personal Assistants to the Governor.
But since the exit of Ibas and Governor Fubara’s return, expectations have heightened from many in the state, including indigenes and residents, as to why he has yet to make key appointments.
Also, political associates of the governor have their fates hanging in the balance, with many of them wondering if Fubara has forgotten them.
The governor is currently working without a Chief of Staff, although it is not clear if Edison Ehie, who served in that capacity, was affected by Ibas’s sledgehammer.
Fubara has yet to appoint the Secretary to the State Government, an office previously occupied by Dr Tammy Danagogo.
Meanwhile, the governor has yet to respond to the call by the Rivers State House of Assembly to submit a list of commissioner-nominees for screening and confirmation.
However, since its first sitting on September 18, when the emergency rule was lifted, the House, led by its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, has yet to sit again.
When contacted, an aide to Governor Fubara, who pleaded anonymity, said it is very unlikely that most of the Governor’s commissioners will return or be reappointed.
He stated, “I doubt if that will happen because a lot of restructuring is going on as I speak with you. Many things are going on behind the scenes. This is the most I can say for now.”
Speaking on the issue, an elder statesman and Convener, Rivers State Leaders of Thought, Chief Sunny Chukwumele, said the Governor has just resumed and should be given time to settle. Chukwumele, however, said Fubara has started well by dissolving the State Pensions Board and urged him to also dissolve the board of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
He added, “We would be looking forward to further actions. He also must dissolve the State Independent Electoral Commission and other actions that will come from there.”
Chief Chukwumele criticised the State House of Assembly for immediately calling on the Governor to present the budget and submit a list of Commissioner nominees without allowing him to settle.
“They ought to have paid him a visit first, not in their plenary begin to dish out directives to the elected Governor. That was a very wrong step and a wrong move,” the elder statesman said.
On the constitution of his cabinet, he said it is at the discretion of the Governor. “The time and when to make such appointments, whether Commissioners or the SSG, is at the discretion of the Governor.
“The Governor can work with Permanent Secretaries for the rest of his tenure. He should be given time to also select, because while he was away it is possible that some of his commissioners may have become disloyal. So the onus is on the Governor to present a list of commissioners within a reasonable time.”
On his part, the President of the Ijaw Youths Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, said while the appointments are important, the Governor should be careful not to make the same mistakes that plunged the state into political crisis.
Lokpobiri stated, “You know the Governor is working in a very complex environment at the moment. So I want to presume that he is taking his time wisely so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
“I can almost tell you for free that part of what escalated the crisis between him and his godfather was on account of some of these political appointees. His Chief of Staff was among those, so I do not expect him to hastily make political appointments that will exacerbate a conflict that took us almost five or ten years backwards.”
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