1 week Ago By Oluchi Ezumezu
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an order preventing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, from appointing interim leaders across the state’s 23 local government councils. The decision was delivered on April 8, 2025, by Justice Adamu Turaki Muhammed, in response to a suit (FHC/PH/CS/46/2025) filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, headed by Courage Nsirimovu. The civil rights group requested an interim injunction to block Ibas or his representatives from making such appointments.
The court agreed there was a valid case to consider and fixed April 14 for a substantive hearing. The ruling unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing political unrest between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and a faction of the state assembly loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike. Local council leadership has been a flashpoint in the conflict.
Though elected council officials completed their tenure in June 2023, their stay was extended by Wike-backed legislators. Governor Fubara later dismissed them and installed caretaker committees. Tensions intensified after the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted local polls on October 5, 2024, despite legal opposition from the Wike-aligned All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Tony Okocha.
The Supreme Court nullified the outcome on February 28, 2025, prompting Fubara to direct council heads to manage affairs temporarily. The legal action by PILEX reflects concerns that those being considered for appointment may be politically biased. Meanwhile, Wike’s faction commended President Bola Tinubu for imposing emergency rule and backing Ibas’ leadership.
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