Our reporter
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has approved the appointment of administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state, despite a Federal High Court order issued less than 24 hours prior, restraining him from doing so.
The appointments, announced in a Special Government Announcement on Wednesday morning, are part of a broader administrative reshuffle. The changes, which also include the reconstitution of boards for several state agencies, commissions, and parastatals, were confirmed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Ibibia Worika. The statement specified that the new appointments would take effect from Monday, 7th April 2025.
In the announcement, the SSG stated, “His Excellency, The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the appointments of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. He has also approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals, earlier suspended.” The statement went on to assure that all appointments would take effect on the specified date.
However, the appointments have raised significant legal concerns. On Tuesday, Justice Adam Muhammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt issued an interim injunction against the Sole Administrator, prohibiting him from making any further appointments to the local government positions. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, a prominent civil society group led by Courage Msirimovu. The case, identified as suit number FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, sought to halt the appointments on the grounds of alleged constitutional breaches.
In a statement reacting to the development, Msirimovu strongly criticised the Sole Administrator’s actions. “This is a blatant disregard for the rule of law,” he said. “We are witnessing a dangerous trend where court orders are treated as mere suggestions. This undermines the very fabric of democracy and governance.”
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the list of newly appointed Local Government administrators has yet to be disclosed to the public. The delay has only added to the sense of intrigue surrounding the decision and the broader political ramifications.
In a related development, Vice Admiral Ibas has also nullified all pending procurement and tender processes initiated by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the State. According to an earlier statement from the SSG, this decision was made in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling, which found that the state government lacked an appropriation law for 2025. As a result, the state’s MDAs are now required to refund any fees collected from contractors as part of these procurement processes.
The cancellation of the procurement activities follows last week’s high-profile suspension of all heads of MDAs in Rivers State, a move that political analysts view as a strategic effort by Ibas to consolidate control over the state’s administrative machinery. Critics have pointed to these actions as indicative of increasing centralisation under the current administration.
Legal analysts are closely monitoring the standoff between the judiciary and the Rivers State administration, with growing concerns over the implications of the Sole Administrator’s actions for the rule of law and governance in the state. Observers have warned that this ongoing dispute could have far-reaching consequences for the legal and political landscape of Rivers State, as well as for the broader Nigerian democratic system.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on how the judiciary will respond to the apparent defiance of its ruling and what steps, if any, will be taken to enforce the court’s interim order. The balance between executive power and judicial oversight is now a focal point in Rivers State, with potential implications for governance across Nigeria.
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