Court Bars Rivers Administrator, Ibas From Appointing LGA Administrators

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an order restraining the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd), from appointing sole administrators or their equivalents to oversee the 23 local government areas in the state.

Naija News reports that Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed issued the ruling in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by Courage Msirimovu, against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity.

The court, after reviewing the motion ex parte filed on March 28, 2025, granted several reliefs, including an interim injunction preventing Ibas and his agents from making such appointments.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed noted that the applicant’s request for an injunction and other necessary orders was valid, and set April 14, 2025, as the date for the hearing of the substantive matter.

The leadership crisis in Rivers State stems from the expiration of the tenure of elected local government chairmen in June 2023.

These chairmen, originally elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike, had sought an extension of tenure, which was granted by 27 defected state lawmakers loyal to Wike.

When Governor Siminalayi Fubara assumed office, he dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen. This action sparked a fierce political battle between Fubara’s camp and Wike’s loyalists. The struggle for control over local governments has become a central issue in the state’s political power dynamics.

Despite the ongoing tensions, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) proceeded with local government elections on October 5, 2024.

However, the faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Wike, led by Tony Okocha, challenged the RSIEC’s actions in court.

This legal battle culminated in a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, which favoured the Wike-backed APC faction.

Following this judgment, Governor Fubara removed the chairmen installed through the now-nullified election and directed the heads of local council administration to assume interim leadership until new elections could be held.

Governor Fubara’s decision was strongly opposed by the APC and the group of defected lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule.

They accused Fubara’s camp of targeting RSIEC officials and attempting to bypass constitutional procedures.

Supporters of Governor Fubara argued that the Sole Administrator was moving to appoint administrators for the local government areas—a move the court has now prevented, maintaining that it would be an unconstitutional act.

The legal battle continues, with the case now adjourned for further hearings on April 14, 2025.