Rivers Sole Administrator Defies Court, Appoints 23 LG Administrators

In defiance of a Federal High Court order issued on Tuesday, which barred the appointment of administrators for Local Government Councils, Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has appointed sole administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

The order was issued in a case filed under Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by Courage Nsirimovu, against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity.

The ex parte motion, filed on March 28, 2025, sought several reliefs, the first of which was an order of interim injunction restraining the respondent or his agents from appointing a sole administrator or any equivalent position for the 23 Local Government Areas. They also requested any other orders deemed necessary under the circumstances.

The presiding judge, Justice Adamu Turaki, stated that there was sufficient reason to grant the requests and scheduled a hearing for April 14, 2025.

In addition to these actions, Ibas appointed Michael Odey as the new Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals that had previously been suspended.