By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Atedo Peterside, the founder of ANAP Foundation, has strongly criticised the actions of Ibok-Ete Ibas, the recently appointed sole administrator of Rivers, accusing him of exacerbating tensions in the state and acting without legitimacy.
In an interview on Arise News on Thursday, Peterside described the situation in the oil-rich state as “very unfortunate” and warned that the administrator’s conduct risked plunging the state further into crisis.
He particularly pointed to the process of the administrator’s appointment and his subsequent decisions as indicative of a larger disregard for democratic norms and due process.
“I think the sole administrator either misread his brief or has no understanding of what his role is,” Peterside said. “Instead of coming into an inflamed situation with a view to achieving stability and healing, he might be inadvertently adding fuel to the fire.”
Peterside, who hails from Rivers State, expressed deep concern over the administrator’s rapid moves to restructure key institutions, including the appointment of officials to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and the imposition of unelected heads across the local government areas.
“A man who himself probably has no proper mandate now decides to add insult upon injury,” Peterside stated. “Instead of simply leaving local governments in the hands of the most senior full-time staff, he now goes to superimpose people.”
He challenged the administrator to publicly explain the process by which these appointments were made. “Did he advertise the positions? Did he search Rivers State for the most competent, skilled persons of high integrity?” he asked. “Some of the people he appointed, in my personal opinion, they are riffraffs.”
The appointment of the administrator itself has been mired in controversy, with Peterside calling it “irregular.” He criticised the executive’s decision as legally misguided and condemned the legislature for using a voice vote to confirm the appointment without a proper quorum. “A voice vote does not make any sense, it can never prove two-thirds,” he noted.
The remarks come amid growing public support for suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who many believe has been unfairly targeted in a high-level political power play. Fubara is reported to be engaging in quiet diplomatic efforts to regain control, including a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in London.
Meanwhile, the sole administrator, widely seen as a federal imposition, is consolidating power back home, a move that has triggered protests and heightened fears in the state.
Peterside warned that the administrator’s actions are not only unlawful but also disrespectful to the people of Rivers.
“We will not sit down forever and accept persons whom he appointed to lord over our state and our resources,” he said. “What gives him the right?”
The outspoken entrepreneur also raised questions about the influence of powerful political figures behind the appointments, hinting that the administrator may be serving the interests of certain politicians rather than those of the Rivers people.
“If all he wants to do is to go around collecting names of henchmen and bag carriers and giving them sensitive positions in another person’s state, then he’s got something coming his way,” he said.