PANDEF Chairman Credits Fubara, Not Sole Administrator, for Restored Peace in Rivers State

The National Chairman of the Pan Niger-Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has said that the relative calm currently being experienced in Rivers State is the result of perseverance and dialogue led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other stakeholders, rather than the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as sole administrator.

Igali, who spoke while reflecting on the state’s prolonged political crisis, argued that peace efforts had begun well before the federal government declared a state of emergency and suspended the governor, his deputy, and the state assembly.

According to him, mediation through dialogue, compromise, and patience by key actors was more instrumental to easing tensions than the interim governance structure imposed.

“The peace we see today was not brought by Admiral Ibas being the sole administrator,” Igali said. “It came through the perseverance of Governor Fubara and the willingness of others involved in the conflict to work toward reconciliation.”

The Rivers political crisis, which has pitted Governor Fubara against his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, plunged the state into months of turmoil over control of the House of Assembly, implementation of court rulings, and broader political influence.

President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule earlier in the year, citing the need to restore order, and appointed Ibas to administer the state.

PANDEF, under Igali’s leadership, had set up a Peace and Reconciliation Committee to broker talks among the warring factions. He noted that substantial progress was being made when the federal government intervened with emergency measures.

While acknowledging that relative peace has since returned, he maintained that credit must go to the local actors who endured the difficulties of dialogue rather than to the sole administrator system.

Igali’s comments highlight growing debate over whether Rivers State’s fragile calm is sustainable under federal emergency rule or whether genuine reconciliation among political actors is the only path to lasting peace. For many observers, the remarks also serve as a reminder of the delicate balance between top-down interventions and community-driven conflict resolution in Nigeria’s volatile political environment.