The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has approved the appointment of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, alongside the reconstitution of previously suspended boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals.
The appointments take effect from Monday, April 7, 2025.
The approval was contained in a Special Government Announcement issued on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika.
This development comes amid mounting legal and political tensions in the state, with a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt having earlier barred Ibas from making such appointments.
Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed issued an interim injunction in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Msirimovu. The order restrains the Sole Administrator and his agents from appointing sole administrators—under any designation—to oversee the LGAs. The court granted the motion ex parte filed on March 28, and has fixed April 14 for a substantive hearing.
The appointments are the latest twist in a protracted political power tussle in Rivers State, which has intensified since the expiration of the tenure of local council chairmen originally elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike. Though their terms ended in June 2023, the chairmen secured what they described as a term extension from 27 defected lawmakers loyal to Wike.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who succeeded Wike, had dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen, triggering a fierce contest for control of the local government structures—widely regarded as critical to grassroots political dominance.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) went on to conduct local government elections on October 5, 2024. However, the Wike-aligned faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Tony Okocha, challenged the process in court. Despite the litigation, the elections proceeded.
Following a Supreme Court ruling on February 28, 2025, which sided with the Wike-backed APC, Governor Fubara nullified the results and directed heads of local council administrations to assume control until fresh elections are held. This move further escalated the crisis, prompting legal threats and political backlash from the Wike camp.
Amid the chaos, Fubara’s supporters have accused Ibas of attempting to sidestep constitutional provisions by appointing administrators to the LGAs without lawful backing—an action now under judicial scrutiny.
The unfolding crisis continues despite the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, aimed at restoring order. With the court hearing scheduled for next week and political factions refusing to back down, the Rivers political drama appears far from over.
