From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has stopped the Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), from appointing sole administrators in the 23 local government areas.
The order was issued yesterday by Justice Adamu Turaki Muhammed in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 in the case filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Nsirimovu against the Sole Administrator.
The motion for ex-parte was filed on March 28, 2025, praying the court for many reliefs including, an order of interim injunction restraining the respondent or his agents from appointing the Sole Administrator or whatever name called for the 23 LGAs.
They also prayed for any other order deemed necessary in the circumstance.
The justice said he found enough reason to grant the prayers and fixed April 14, 2025, for hearing.
Daily Sun recalls that the crisis between the administration of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara and 27 pro-Wike lawmakers spilled over to local government.
The tenure of elected local council chairmen who worked with former Governor, Nyesom Wike, ended in June 2023.
But, they secured what they called term elongation from the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike.
On expiry of their tenures, Fubara dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen. Both camps began to strive for control of the LGAs.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) fixed election for October 5, 2024, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), took RSIEC to court.
The election went ahead despite the lawsuit.
When the matter ended at the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025, in favour of the Wike-backed APC led by Tony Okocha, the governor removed the elected chairmen that had been nullified and asked heads of local government administration to take over pending a fresh election.
Also, this was kicked against by the Okocha-led APC and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, who directed the Department of State Service (DSS) to arrest the RSIEC chairman for questioning.
At the peak of the political quagmire, the State of Emergency was declared with the appointment of a Sole Administrator.
Fubara’s camp claimed that the Solad was heading toward appointing administrators to run the LGAs when the constitution did not permit such.
The decision by the PILEX Centre to secure court might be an indication that those penciled down for such appointments are from the Wike camp.
This camp had commended President Bola Tinubu for the declaration of an emergency rule in Rivers and appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas as sole administrator.