Lawyer asks court to void appointment of Ibok-Ete Ibas as Rivers’ sole administrator

A suit has been filed before the federal high court in Abuja asking it to sack Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of Rivers state.

President Bola Tinubu was cited as the first defendant, while the attorney-general of the federation, Ibas, and the attorneys-general of the 36 states of the federation were listed as the second to 39th defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, filed on Tuesday.

The suit, filed by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Johnmary Jideobi, is equally praying the court to void “all actions and decisions [howsoever described or made] of the 3rd defendant [Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd)] in the name of sole administrator of Rivers state, same being unconstitutional, null and of no constitutional force throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria for all purposes”.

The plaintiff further prayed the court to issue a perpetual order of injunction restraining Tinubu “from either removing, suspending or otherwise tampering with the tenure of the governor and deputy-governor of Rivers state [and indeed any other state in Nigeria]”.

As well as an order of perpetual injunction, barring President Tinubu, “either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, from appointing any Sole Administrator into any state government house in the thirty (36) of the federation for any purpose whatsoever”.

In the originating summons he filed through a consortium of lawyers led by Chimezie Enuka, the plaintiff is praying the court to determine if the president ( in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended) has any constitutional authority to suspend Rivers state executives and appoint a sole administrator.

Upon the determination of the question, he prayed the court to declare that “upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, there is no other circumstance contemplated by the Constitution for the removal or interruption of the tenure of an elected governor and Deputy Governor of a State except the circumstances contemplated under Sections 180, 188, 189 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended”.

“A declaration of this Honorable Court that in view of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has NO constitutional authority to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of a duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant herein for that State.

“A declaration of this honourable court that the purported suspension of the Governor and the Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“A declaration of this honourable court that the purported nomination/appointment and swearing in of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) by the 1st Defendant as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State of Nigeria is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order of this honourable court setting aside the suspension of the Governor and the Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 for being unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order of this honourable court setting aside the nomination/appointment and swearing in of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant.

“An order of this honourable court directing vice admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) [the 3rd defendant herein] to vacate, forthwith, the Government House of Rivers State of Nigeria.”

On March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the south-south state, citing the prolonged political crisis and vandalisation of oil installations, suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; Ngozi Odu, his deputy; and all house of assembly members for six months.

Tinubu also appointed Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator for Rivers.

Meanwhile, PDP governors have instituted a suit before the supreme court to challenge the action.