Port Harcourt, Rivers State – Barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court reportedly issued a restraining order, Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has announced the appointment of administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas in the state.
The controversial move comes despite a reported court order issued on Tuesday by Justice Adam Muhammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt. The order, in suit no. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, was meant to prevent Ibas from appointing administrators to oversee the local government councils.
However, in a Special Government Announcement issued early Wednesday morning by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika, Ibas declared the appointments effective immediately. While the names of the appointees were not disclosed, the statement confirmed the administrator’s decision to proceed despite the reported legal hurdle.
The statement read, “His Excellency The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the appointments of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. He has also approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals, earlier suspended. All appointments take effect from Monday, the 7th of April 2025.”
This latest action follows a series of directives issued by the Sole Administrator since his appointment. Last week, Ibas suspended all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state. In a separate development, he also cancelled all pending procurement and tender processes carried out by MDAs, citing the Supreme Court judgment and the absence of an appropriation law. Ibas had further directed MDAs to refund any fees collected from contractors during these cancelled processes.
The alleged disregard for the reported court order is likely to escalate tensions in Rivers State and raises questions about the legality and implications of the Sole Administrator’s actions. The development is expected to draw strong reactions from legal experts, civil society organizations, and political stakeholders in the state.
Defiance in Rivers: Ibas Appoints LG Administrators, Allegedly Ignoring Court Order
