The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has declared that the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been “sufficiently achieved” following the peaceful conduct of local government elections and the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots.

Ibas made the remark at Government House, Port Harcourt, while receiving the report of the recently concluded local government elections from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). The statement was issued by his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo.

He said the successful swearing-in of chairmen and councillors across all 23 local government areas directly fulfilled the presidential directive he received on March 18, 2025.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilize the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.

Commending RSIEC, he described the election as fair, credible, and transparent, noting that it was widely praised both within and outside the state. “For once, an election was conducted where nobody was harassed, where people went out freely to express themselves and to select whom they wanted as their leaders. This is a testament to the peaceful and enabling environment we have collectively fostered,” he added.

He assured that his administration would review the RSIEC report in detail and issue a government white paper. He further praised state officials and institutions for their synergy, saying, “This is what it takes to build nations.”

Presenting the report earlier, RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Mike Odey, described the election as a “historic achievement” for both Rivers State and Nigeria. He said the report covered the entire electoral process—from the notice of election and stakeholder engagements to polling, collation, and announcement of results.

“The report highlights our modest achievements, our challenges, and provides key recommendations that will strengthen future elections in Rivers State,” Odey explained.

He credited the success to collaboration with political parties, civil society organizations, and security agencies, while commending the administrator for providing “adequate and sufficient” funding.

“In the history of election management in Nigeria, be it national or sub-national, no institution has ever organized, coordinated, conducted, and supervised a complete electoral process within a period of 30 days. With all modesty, I have no regrets in stating this fact for the record,” Odey declared.