By John Umeh
Effizzie Magazine Political Correspondent
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued a restraining order against the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), prohibiting him from appointing sole administrators or equivalent officials to manage the 23 local government areas in the state.
The directive, issued by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, stems from 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 court acted on a motion ex parte filed on March 28, 2025, in which the applicant sought temporary relief to block the appointments. Upon reviewing the request, Justice Mohammed granted the interim injunction and scheduled April 14, 2025, for the hearing of the substantive case.
This legal move marks a new chapter in the prolonged political unrest in Rivers State, which escalated following the expiration of the tenure of elected local government chairmen in June 2023. These officials, elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration, claimed their tenure had been extended by 27 defected lawmakers who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) and pledged allegiance to Wike.
Upon assuming office, Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the local government councils and appointed caretaker chairmen, sparking a fierce political battle between his camp and loyalists of the former governor.
In an attempt to restore democratic governance at the local level, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted local government elections on October 5, 2024. However, the legitimacy of the elections was challenged by the APC faction loyal to Wike, led by Tony Okocha. The legal battle culminated in a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, in favor of the APC group.
Following the judgment, Governor Fubara voided the appointments that arose from the disputed elections and directed heads of local council administration to serve in an interim capacity until new elections could be held. This move was met with strong resistance from the APC and a group of defected lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule, who accused the governor of undermining the constitution and harassing RSIEC officials.
In the midst of these tensions, reports surfaced that the Sole Administrator was planning to appoint new LGA administrators unconstitutionally, prompting the legal action that resulted in the court’s restraining order.
This latest ruling adds another layer to the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, which remains unresolved despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a political state of emergency on March 18.
