The House of Representatives’ newly formed ad-hoc committee to oversee Rivers State has been hit with an unexpected jolt. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State was scheduled to attend an interactive session with the committee last Thursday, but as the clock ticked past the meeting time, the chair remained empty, and the message was clear: Ibas wasn’t coming.
This wasn’t the first time. The 21-member committee, inaugurated on April 15 by Tajudeen Abass, Speaker of the House with plenty of fanfare, had initially scheduled the interactive session for April 17. That meeting was postponed at Ibas’ request. The rescheduling to April 24 was supposed to accommodate him. Now, with a second no-show and no explanation, lawmakers are beginning to read in-between the lines.
The panel had been set up to oversee and possibly bring some stability to the volatile political situation in Rivers—a state currently wrestling with a power struggle that has seen factional assemblies and court battles. But Thursday’s empty seat may have said more about the panel’s standing than any statement could.
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Following the no-show, committee members retreated into a closed-door meeting. When they re-emerged, not a single lawmaker addressed the waiting press. Their faces, however, told the story, it revealed a sense of quiet frustration. When approached by journalists, Julius Ihonvbere, committee’s chairman, offered just two words: “No comment.”
Some lawmakers see Ibas’s non-appearance as a direct challenge to the authority of the House.
In the world of Nigerian politics, where nothing is ever just procedural, a no-show, especially twice, raises questions and can carry heavy implications, according to observers. Is this just a case of bad timing, or is there something more to the Sole Administrator’s absence at the committee’s meeting? It also raises questions about the committee’s authority, and the federal legislature’s influence over state matters.
In Nigerian politics, a no-show can speak volumes. Some observers believe Ibas is sending a message that he doesn’t see the committee’s efforts as worthwhile or necessary. By not attending, he might be signaling skepticism about the panel’s ability to make a real impact, or perhaps even questioning the constitutional authority of the House to interfere in state matters.
Some critics suggest Ibas’ silence is deliberate, a calculated move to avoid legitimizing a process he may view as politically motivated. Others believe he’s simply choosing not to be drawn into the storm—playing the quiet, strategic card while the rest wrestle in the mud.
But for the lawmakers, this is starting to feel like a major setback. Ibas, refusing to engage with the committee could easily be seen as a sign of the panel’s waning influence. If Ibas and other major stakeholders continue to opt out, what does that say about the committee’s power to actually bring about any change?
The question now hanging in the air is whether the Rivers panel is losing relevance before it even gains traction. Without the cooperation of Ibas, the committee’s path forward looks murky. Can it truly mediate or provide meaningful oversight if its calls are ignored?
In a political landscape where perception matters almost as much as action, this silence is starting to speak volumes. And unless the panel finds a way to reassert itself, it risks becoming just another Abuja effort that fizzles out under the weight of its own expectations.
Observers and Nigerians on social media weighed in on the matter, expressing their disappointment at the Reps that they also described as “toothless dogs”. Sharing his views on the X platform Edorhe Jones said, ” Of course they (Reps) are beneath him. They won’t do anything about it because they are cowards. Rubber stamp bunch of cowards.”
Another user with the handle Williams V, said believes that the Reps can’t command the respect of Ibas because they have been “used and dumped” in making him Sole Administrator. Jide Owoleke reiterated similar sentiments, stressing that the Reps “command zero respect and zero values”, adding that “they can’t even bark.”
Sebastian Ekpeyoung, also said, “Shame to the dullmakers at the lower chamber
Toothless bulldog. So shameful”.
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Back in Rivers, protests continued in Rivers State as hundreds of women from the Opobo Kingdom marched to demand the immediate reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose suspension followed the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
The women rejected the appointment of a Sole Administrator to manage the state’s affairs, calling the emergency rule unconstitutional.
The Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group warned that the economy of Rivers State was deteriorating, causing hardship for women, youths, and children. In a prayer rally held in Port Harcourt, the group urged the president to lift the emergency rule, restore the state’s democratic institutions, and return Governor Fubara to office.
