Drama in Court as Tinubu, AGF Snub Suit Challenging Rivers Sole Administrator Appointment

President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, were absent in court on Thursday during a scheduled hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit seeking to nullify the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. The absence of legal representation from both the Presidency and the AGF stood in contrast to the presence of attorneys from the states of Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo, who were in court for the matter.

The suit, filed by Abuja-based legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi, challenges the constitutional validity of President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State and replace them with a sole administrator. At Thursday’s session, counsel to the plaintiff, Chimezie Enuka, confirmed that all defendants—except the Attorneys-General of Zamfara and Bauchi—had been duly served with the originating summons and hearing notices.

Following agreement among the parties present, Justice James Omotosho adjourned the matter to June 11, 2025, and ordered the service of fresh hearing notices to all the defendants. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, lists Tinubu as the 1st defendant, the AGF as the 2nd, and all 36 state Attorneys-General as co-defendants.

Jideobi is asking the court to declare the actions and decisions of Vice Admiral Ibas, acting as Rivers’ Sole Administrator, unconstitutional, null, and void. He further seeks a perpetual injunction restraining President Tinubu from interfering with the tenure of any elected Governor or Deputy Governor across Nigeria, or from appointing a sole administrator to lead any state government.

In his originating summons, Jideobi argues that sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305, and 306 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, do not grant the President any authority to remove or suspend state governors, nor to appoint replacements. He contends that the only grounds for ending a governor’s tenure are those expressly stated in the Constitution and insists that Tinubu’s March 18, 2025, suspension of the Rivers Governor and Deputy Governor is unconstitutional.

The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing Vice Admiral Ibas to immediately vacate the Rivers State Government House. In a sworn affidavit, Jideobi said he filed the suit in the public interest to uphold the rule of law and protect the constitutional order, warning that failure to act could set a dangerous precedent where elected governors are arbitrarily removed.

He emphasized that Nigeria operates a federal system grounded in separation of powers and that the term “Sole Administrator” does not exist within the Nigerian Constitution. Jideobi expressed concern that, without court intervention, the removal of elected officials by the executive could lead to widespread political instability.

The court will reconvene on June 11 to hear arguments in the case.