JUST IN: Despite Court Injunction, Ibas Appoints Sole Administrators for 23 Rivers LGAs Amid Growing Political Tensions

Rivers State is witnessing escalating political and legal tensions following the appointment of administrators for its 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) by Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the Sole Administrator of the state. The appointments, effective from April 7, 2025, were announced in a Special Government Announcement issued on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika. Alongside these appointments, Ibas also reconstituted the boards of several agencies, commissions, and parastatals that had previously been suspended.

The move comes despite an ongoing legal challenge. A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had earlier issued an injunction, barring Ibas from making such appointments. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, granted an ex parte order on March 28, 2025, which restrains Ibas and his agents from appointing sole administrators to oversee the LGAs. The court has set a date of April 14 for a full hearing on the matter.

This development is the latest chapter in a long-running political struggle in Rivers State. Tensions have been high since the tenure of local council chairmen elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike expired in June 2023. Despite the expiration, the chairmen, supported by a faction of 27 defected lawmakers, managed to extend their terms. However, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara succeeded Wike, he dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen, igniting a fierce power struggle for control of the local government structures, which are crucial to political influence at the grassroots level.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) held local government elections on October 5, 2024, despite a legal challenge from the Wike-aligned faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Tony Okocha. The elections went ahead, but following a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, that favored the Wike-backed APC, Governor Fubara nullified the results and ordered heads of local council administrations to take charge until fresh elections are conducted. This decision has only deepened the political crisis, drawing legal threats and strong political responses from the Wike camp.

Amid these developments, Fubara’s supporters have accused Ibas of overstepping constitutional boundaries by appointing administrators without proper legal authority, a move that is now under judicial review. Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declaring a state of emergency in the state on March 18 to restore order, the situation remains volatile, with both legal proceedings and political factions intensifying. The court hearing scheduled for next week, alongside the ongoing political maneuvering, suggests that the political turmoil in Rivers State is far from resolution.