Rights activist Akpobari Celestine has declared that the role of the Rivers Sole Administrator is now obsolete.
Celestine made this statement while speaking on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday, June 30, 2025.
He noted that the reconciliation between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Minister Nyesom Wike, and state lawmakers had changed everything.
The activist, who is a governing council member of HYPREP, urged the Federal Government to act without further delay.
According to him, the Rivers Sole Administrator cannot legally or morally touch the state’s ₦1.48 trillion 2025 appropriation funds.
He argued that Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, appointed during emergency rule, no longer has legitimacy to function in office.
Celestine warned that any attempt to administer funds would amount to economic sabotage against the people of Rivers State.
He emphasized that Rivers residents deserve transparent governance, not backdoor administration under a suspended democratic order.
The Rivers Sole Administrator, appointed after President Tinubu suspended Fubara, has faced growing backlash since his assumption of duty.
Celestine appealed directly to President Tinubu to lift the emergency rule and reinstate the suspended Rivers State governor immediately.
He said peace had already returned and political actors had embraced a united front after presidential intervention at the Villa.
Celestine noted that ministries, departments, and agencies have remained dormant, with key projects completely stalled in the state.
He maintained that maintaining emergency rule contradicts the spirit of reconciliation agreed by all parties at the national level.
Many observers believe the Rivers Sole Administrator’s mandate may soon end as political temperature in the state continues cooling.
Celestine insisted that President Tinubu must now restore democratic governance and allow Rivers people full control of their affairs.
