[4][5] After Sassou Nguesso returned to power in October 1997, Ibovi was appointed as Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman on 2 November 1997.
On that occasion, Ibovi said that conditions in Congo-Brazzaville had improved greatly since 1997, progressing from a "chaotic situation ... to a calm and livable country".
[11] Ibovi remained in the government after the election; on 18 August 2002, he was appointed as Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization,[12][13] in which position he served for over five years.
[26][27] Ibovi was thus left without a seat in the National Assembly, but President Sassou Nguesso appointed him to the government as Minister of Health and Population on 25 September 2012.
[32] He visited Cuba again on 25–31 October 2013, and on that occasion he signed agreements with the Cuban industrial group Labiofam as part of a strategy to combat malaria.
On 30 September 2014, Ibovi thanked the Chinese government for providing substantial assistance to help prevent any Ebola outbreak in Congo and spoke warmly about the good relationship between the two countries.