A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has restrained Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from appointing local government heads. The ruling intensifies the ongoing political power struggle between factions loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, following disputed council elections and legal battles.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has barred Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, from appointing interim leaders across the state’s 23 local government areas. The injunction, issued by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, came after a civic group, PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, filed an urgent motion seeking to halt the appointments pending further legal proceedings.
The court order, granted in response to Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, reflects growing legal scrutiny over managing local governance in Rivers. Justice Mohammed ruled after reviewing a motion ex parte submitted on March 28, setting April 14, 2025, for the entire hearing.
This intervention marks the latest twist in Rivers State’s ongoing political upheaval, rooted in disputes over local council control following the expiration of elected chairmen’s tenure in 2023. Those chairmen, aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike, had argued for tenure extensions granted by defecting lawmakers who switched allegiance to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
After Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the councils and installed caretaker chairmen, tensions escalated into a wider struggle between factions loyal to Fubara and Wike. Although the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted fresh elections in October 2024, subsequent court battles ultimately favored Wike’s allies.
In the aftermath, Fubara nullified the appointments and directed council administrators to oversee operations temporarily, drawing fierce criticism from the APC bloc. The latest court ruling adds a new layer of complexity to the standoff, as Rivers residents await clarity on who will ultimately govern at the local level.
