…”nobody knows when Fubara is going to return or how the handover process is truly going to be finalised,” he added.
RIVERS, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | Confusion has gripped Rivers State following the mysterious absence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose whereabouts remain unknown hours after a crucial handover of power. The development comes on the heels of the exit of the state’s Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), who announced in a statewide broadcast on Thursday morning that he had officially handed over the reins of government to governor Fubara.
Ordinarily, such a transition should have signalled continuity and stability, but by the time the announcement was made, Governor Fubara was nowhere to be found. As of press time, there has been no public sighting of him at the Government House or any other official location, sparking a wave of speculation and unease among the state’s residents and political class.
Providing an on-the-ground update during Arise Television’s Morning Show programme, the network’s correspondent in Rivers State, Friday Olokor, painted a picture of a state that is outwardly calm but internally unsettled. According to him, the political climate in Port Harcourt, the state capital, remains deceptively serene despite what he described as “political antagonism” simmering beneath the surface.
“The atmosphere is cool. There is no problem on the streets,” Olokor explained. “But the fact remains that the whereabouts of the governor are still unknown, even though there are speculations he might appear today.”
He warned, however, that leadership vacuums rarely bode well for governance. “Leadership is not supposed to have a vacuum,” he said, pointing out that Rivers State is already feeling the strain of uncertainty. “The people are waiting because nobody really knows where the governor is. The sole administrator has exited, but with the governor not present, the atmosphere is tense.”
Olokor noted that while no immediate unrest has been recorded, the absence of Fubara has left residents uneasy and created a palpable void in governance. “Nobody knows when Fubara is going to return or how the handover process is truly going to be finalised,” he added, cautioning that much of what is being said at this stage remains “political conjecture.”
Meanwhile, the state’s already factionalised House of Assembly is struggling to maintain legislative momentum. Olokor revealed that the divisions within the Assembly, split between rival political interests, have forced lawmakers to hold meetings in separate locations to continue legislative activities. Twenty members are reportedly aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), while three others belong to a different faction.
“Even though elections have been held and won, you cannot rule out the fact that factions still exist,” Olokor said. “The key issue now is whether they can put the past behind them and move ahead, because the people of Rivers State have suffered enough from the political crisis.”
He stressed that ordinary citizens are the ones bearing the brunt of the state’s persistent political rifts. “As it is said, when two elephants fight, it is the ground that suffers. The people of Rivers have suffered a lot,” Olokor lamented, urging both factions to reconcile and work together to prevent a repeat of past crises.
Observers say the situation has created a dangerous mix of calm and uncertainty: while there is no visible unrest, the lack of clarity on who is effectively in charge of the state has left both political stakeholders and residents on edge. Many fear that without quick resolution, the leadership vacuum could deepen the state’s already fragile political climate.
As speculation over Governor Fubara’s whereabouts continues, all eyes are on both the Government House and the warring factions of the House of Assembly. Residents and political watchers alike hope that a clear statement—or the governor’s public appearance—will soon dispel the tension and avert a potential escalation of the crisis.
For now, Rivers State stands at a delicate crossroads, waiting for its missing chief executive to re-emerge and restore a sense of normalcy to its governance and politics.
