The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, on Wednesday defied a court order by proceeding with the appointment of Administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State, the Coordinator of the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, Courage Nsirimovu, has said.
The development comes after a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025, ordered the Sole Administrator to appear and justify why a motion seeking to stop the appointments should not be granted.
Nsirimovu confirmed that the Sole Administrator was officially served court processes on Wednesday morning.
“I can confirm that the process was served by the bailiff this morning... He attempted serving on Tuesday and they deliberately refused to receive the process," Nsirimovu said in a message sent to Nigeria Info.
However, Nsirimovu expressed concerns over the actions taken by the Administrator after being put on notice.
“We are deeply concerned that despite being served the court order, the Sole Administrator proceeded to announce and approve the appointments, backdating them to April 7th, 2025. This is an attempt to circumvent the court’s authority,” Nsirimovu said at a press briefing on Wednesday, 9 April.
"Such actions raise serious constitutional questions about the respect for the rule of law in Rivers State."
The court had earlier directed the Rivers State Government to appear and show cause why the interim injunction should not be granted, preventing the Sole Administrator from making the appointments. Nsirimovu’s organisation had gone to court in a bid to halt the unconstitutional appointment of administrators.
"We went to court because of the Sole Administrator’s previous actions, which gave us reason to believe he might proceed with these appointments. His conduct, including sending out a circular to heads of departments to prepare reports, only reinforced our fears," Nsirimovu stated.
The court order, issued by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, placed the Rivers State Sole Administrator on notice and scheduled a hearing for April 14th, 2025. The legal team representing the Pilex Centre has argued that only elected officials have the constitutional mandate to govern the LGAs, in line with Section 7 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
"We argue that the power to appoint LG administrators lies with elected representatives, not appointed officials. The Sole Administrator has no constitutional authority to make such appointments," Nsirimovu added.
Despite the pending court case, the Rivers State Administrator on Wednesday approved not only the appointment of the LGA administrators but also members of key commissions, including the Civil Service Commission, the Local Government Service Commission, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The official announcement came from Professor Ibibia Worika, the Secretary to the State Government.
Nsirimovu further claimed that the backdating of the appointment memo is an attempt to legitimize an action that is currently under judicial review. "This is a clear act of contempt of court," he said. "The appointment, as executed, has no legal standing until the court rules otherwise."
At the press briefing, which was attended by a member of the Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre and one other civil society organization, Nsirimovu reiterated calls for the President of Nigeria to reverse the state of emergency in Rivers State, stating that there is no justification for such a declaration in the state.
"We urge the President to immediately reverse this state of emergency, as it is unconstitutional and unnecessary. Rivers State does not face any emergency situation that warrants such measures," he stated.
The Pilex Centre has vowed to continue its legal battle to restrain the Sole Administrator from further appointments. "We will take this fight to the courts until the Rivers State government respects the constitutional framework that ensures democratic governance and accountability," Nsirimovu affirmed.
The legal proceedings on the matter will continue with a hearing set for April 14th, where the Sole Administrator will be required to justify his actions and explain why the injunction to halt the appointments should not be granted.
As the tension mounts, the public and legal experts alike are watching closely to see whether the court will uphold the rule of law or whether the government will continue to push forward with its controversial actions.
The developments are expected to have significant implications for the governance structure of Rivers State, with all eyes on the upcoming court hearing.
