“History will not judge Ibas by his press releases or his self-proclaimed courage. It will judge him by the numbers—and whether Nigeria’s leaders have the will to hold him accountable”.
BY EMMAN USMAN SHEHU
The six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, which ended in September 17, 2025, was meant to quell a political firestorm. Instead, it has ignited a constitutional and fiscal inferno, with Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the appointed Sole Administrator, at its center. The staggering N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocated to Rivers State during his tenure has vanished into a black hole of opacity, leaving Nigeria’s democratic principles battered and the public’s trust in tatters. As the state limps back to elected governance, the refusal of Ibas to submit to parliamentary scrutiny is not just a personal stance—it’s a dangerous precedent that threatens the very fabric of accountability in Nigeria.
The emergency rule itself was a constitutional sleight of hand. Legal scholars and civil society groups have rightly called it “largely illegal,” arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower the President to suspend elected officials—governor, deputy governor, and the State House of Assembly—or to install an unelected administrator. Yet, this is precisely what happened. The National Assembly’s approval of the emergency, shrouded in questions about whether it secured the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority, only deepened the controversy.
Now, Ibas and his puppet masters exploit this constitutional ambiguity to dodge accountability, claiming the reinstated Rivers State House of Assembly lacks authority to probe him because it did not appoint him. This is not just a legal technicality; it’s a deliberate smokescreen. By hiding behind the flawed process that elevated him, Ibas risks cementing a precedent where billions in public funds can be spent without oversight, shielded by the chaos of an unconstitutional power grab. If Nigeria’s democracy is to survive, this loophole must be sealed.
Ibas’s administration cloaked itself in the rhetoric of reform. Upon his exit, he trumpeted the adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and new revenue codes, promising a golden era of “transparency, accountability, and efficiency.” He even dared to predict that history would judge him kindly for his “courage and discipline.” But transparency is not a press conference or a glossy policy launch—it is the courage to open the books and face scrutiny.
The public’s skepticism is well-founded. Allegations that Ibas concealed spending records from 2024, coupled with the reinstated House of Assembly’s swift move to investigate his tenure, point to a profound trust deficit. Civil society groups have sounded the alarm on potential corruption, and their suspicions are not baseless. When an unelected official presides over N254 billion in public funds and resists oversight, the demand for a full, independent audit becomes not just reasonable but urgent. Transparency is not a slogan; it is a ledger laid bare.
The Supreme Court cannot sit idly by. The expiration of the emergency rule does not erase the need for a definitive ruling on its legality. If the President’s power to suspend elected officials and impose an administrator is deemed unconstitutional—as legal experts argue—it would strip Ibas’s tenure of legitimacy and bolster the case for a forensic audit of Rivers State’s finances. The judiciary must act not only to resolve this crisis but to prevent future federal overreach from undermining democratic institutions.
Moreover, the audit process must be swift and transparent. Whether through the State Auditor-General for state-funded expenditures or the Auditor-General for the Federation for federally allocated funds, a public reckoning of the N254 billion is non-negotiable. Anything less risks normalising a system where emergency powers become a blank check for unaccountable spending.
The Rivers State emergency rule is not an isolated incident; it is a warning. Without rigorous accountability, it offers a blueprint for future administrations—state or federal—to exploit crises, suspend democratic processes, and spend public funds with impunity. This is not governance; it is a masterclass in democratic erosion.
The Nigerian public must demand more than promises of reform. They must insist on a transparent, legally robust investigation into Ibas’s tenure, with every naira accounted for and every decision scrutinised. History will not judge Ibas by his press releases or his self-proclaimed courage. It will judge him by the numbers—and whether Nigeria’s leaders have the will to hold him accountable. If they fail, the real casualty will be the nation’s democracy itself.
…Dr Shehu is and Abuja-based writer, activist and educator
