The governor of , (), ended his mandate this Saturday (28), exactly one year after the (Bank of ), scandal that placed him facing the biggest crisis since he was elected in 2018.
His resignation from office was signed in the morning, at a ceremony celebrating the 55th anniversary of Ceilândia, an administrative region of Brasília.
In the first round, Ibaneis leaves the Government of the Federal District to run for the Senate amid the progress of investigations and the unknown about the future of BRB, thanks to the billion-dollar losses caused by the operation with Master.
The bank, whose main shareholder is the Federal District Government, initially planned to release its 2025 results on March 31 and find a solution.
In a farewell mood, Ibaneis offered a dinner to MDB candidates in Brasília on Wednesday (25). According to reports, the governor said he was confident about his candidacy for the Senate and that of his vice-president, Celina Leão (PP), for the government.
I banish the possibility of Master’s ex-banker signing a plea bargain agreement. He also stated that all actions are documented and were carried out legally.
The wear and tear faced by Ibaneis prompted the Senate to continue with a special forum until the end of the term, at the beginning of next year. On different occasions, the governor was forced to repeat that he would leave office this month.
“He no longer has support. This week we beat him [nos discursos] and no deputy from his base appeared to defend him. I don’t know what will happen, but the situation is serious”, says district deputy Chico Vigilante (PT-DF).
Last month, the PL, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro, left the allied base of Ibaneis, leaving his and Celina’s platform even more heated.
The party has already announced that it intends to launch two candidates for the Senate on Celina’s ticket, former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) and federal deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF) — an arrangement that .
Members of PL and MDB admit that the equation is not yet closed today. Allies of Ibaneis claim that he is sure that the president of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, will interfere in the DF to force Bia to give up his candidacy for the Senate and run for re-election to the Chamber.
The situation was also discussed during the dinner organized by Ibaneis on Wednesday. According to reports, supporters of the governor stated that, when the campaign begins, he should explore the achievements of his administration in contrast to those of his two opponents.
An ally of Ibaneis who spoke on condition of anonymity said that, in the group’s view, neither Michelle nor Bia have a legacy of services to present to voters, just ideological speeches. Ibaneis, yes.
On the other side, opponents of the governor are betting that the crisis involving BRB-Master will wear him down even further by October. With no room to seek re-election, senator Izalci Lucas (PL) places himself as a pre-candidate for governor. In his view, the party will not be able to maintain support for Celina.
“I think Ibaneis’ candidacy has melted down, every day a new fact emerges. There was a breach that compromised the economy of the Federal District”, says Izalci, adding that the candidates are still open.
Behind the scenes, federal deputy Rafael Prudente (MDB) has been identified as an alternative for the MDB — whether for the Senate race or for the government, if Ibaneis and Celina give up running or are prevented from running.
When questioned by the report, Prudente replied that he was “firm in his intention to be re-elected as federal deputy”. Prudente states that the equation between Michelle, Bia and Ibaneis will need to be adjusted later on by the vice-governor. The deputy also says that Ibaneis is responsible for designing this alliance; leaving the ticket, therefore, must only occur by his personal decision.
Ibaneis was the target of impeachment requests, all blocked by the president of the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District, Wellington Luiz (MDB), of whom he is an ally. Three requests for the opening of a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) were presented, but none of them obtained the minimum number of signatures to move forward.
