A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued an injunction preventing the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, from appointing sole administrators to manage the state’s 23 local government areas (LGAs). The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, follows a lawsuit filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by Courage Nsirimovu, against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity.
The legal action, registered under Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, was initiated after an ex parte motion was filed on March 28, 2025, requesting various reliefs. Among the requests was an order to restrain the Sole Administrator or his agents from appointing sole administrators, or under any other designation, for the LGAs. The motion also called for any other necessary orders from the court.
Presiding Judge, Justice Adamu Turaki, found sufficient grounds to grant the injunction and has scheduled a hearing for April 14, 2025.
The controversy began after the tenure of elected local council chairmen, who served under former Governor Nyesom Wike, expired in June 2023. These chairmen had secured term extensions through support from 27 defected lawmakers loyal to Wike. Following the expiration of their terms, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen. Both factions began competing for control of the LGAs, which are crucial to controlling the political structure of the state.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had originally scheduled local elections for October 5, 2024, but a legal challenge from the Wike-backed APC faction led to the postponement. Despite the lawsuit, the elections proceeded, and on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Wike-backed APC faction led by Tony Okocha. As a result, the governor removed the nullified elected chairmen and instructed the heads of local council administration to take over until new elections are held.
The political tensions escalated when Okocha and the defected lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, opposed the governor’s actions and sought to remove the RSIEC chairman. This led to the declaration of a state of emergency and the appointment of a sole administrator.
Amid these developments, there were growing concerns that the Sole Administrator might appoint local administrators despite constitutional restrictions. This prompted the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative to file the suit, aiming to prevent any such appointments and challenge the constitutionality of the actions taken by the state government.
