A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has issued an order preventing the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from appointing sole administrators or similar officers to oversee the 23 local government areas in the state.
The order was granted by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed in response to a suit (No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025) filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, a civil society group led by Courage Msirimovu.
The ruling followed an ex parte motion submitted on March 28, 2025, requesting the court to stop the state government from making such appointments. Justice Mohammed approved the request and set April 14, 2025, for the hearing of the main case.
This development is part of an ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, which began after the tenure of elected local government chairmen ended in June 2023. These chairmen, originally elected during the tenure of former Governor Nyesom Wike, claimed their term was extended by 27 lawmakers who later defected to the APC and aligned with Wike.
When Governor Siminalayi Fubara took office, he dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen, triggering a power struggle between his supporters and Wike’s loyalists.
In an effort to restore local governance, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) held elections on October 5, 2024. However, the outcome was challenged in court by the APC faction led by Tony Okocha. The legal battle ended with a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, favoring Wike’s group.
Following the ruling, Governor Fubara canceled the appointments resulting from the disputed elections and directed local council heads to take charge temporarily until new elections could be held. This action drew criticism from the APC and the group of defected lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule, who accused the governor of violating constitutional processes.
The latest court case arose after claims that the Sole Administrator was planning to appoint new local government leaders without due process. The court’s injunction is a key moment in the prolonged political tension in Rivers State, which continues despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a political emergency in the state on March 18.
