Tinubu Meets Former Rivers State Administrator Ibas Amid Spending Probe

The immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), visited Aso Rock on Wednesday where he was received by President Bola Tinubu alongside the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede.

Ibas, who stepped down on September 17 after six months in charge of the oil-rich state, arrived at the Presidential Villa around 6 p.m. and was ushered into the meeting by Edun and Olukoyede.

The closed-door meeting came just three days after Ibas rejected moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly to probe government spending during his six-month tenure. Edun was seen entering the Villa earlier in the evening and later returned carrying a file.

Although details of the discussions were not made public, a source close to the Presidency confirmed that Ibas’ appearance was linked to his stewardship in Rivers State.

When contacted, the media aide to the former administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo, said he was unaware of the meeting but promised to confirm and revert. As of Wednesday night, he had yet to provide feedback.

Ibas’ tenure ended after President Tinubu directed the suspended state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly to resume office, effectively ending the emergency rule.

At its first plenary after the transition, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved to investigate state expenditures during the six-month period. The lawmakers vowed to scrutinize withdrawals from the consolidated revenue fund, contract awards, and other financial activities under Ibas.

Findings revealed that Rivers State received at least ₦254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and FAAC documents show the state collected ₦44.66bn in March, ₦44.42bn in April, ₦42.80bn in May, ₦42.30bn in June, ₦38.42bn in July, and ₦41.76bn in August. This amounted to an average monthly allocation of about ₦42.40bn.

The meeting between Tinubu and Ibas comes amid growing political scrutiny and financial accountability demands in Rivers State.