PORT HARCOURT, April 9, 2025 — In a move that has ignited legal and political tension across Rivers State, the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd.), has unilaterally appointed administrators to oversee all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), along with chairpersons and members of critical state commissions, despite a valid court order explicitly barring such action.
The appointments, announced via a statement signed by the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika, took effect on Monday, April 7, 2025.
The sweeping decisions include the appointment of heads and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the State Civil Service Commission, and the Local Government Service Commission.
This action comes just days after a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Adamu Turaki Muhammed, issued an order restraining the state’s Sole Administrator from making such appointments, pending the determination of an ongoing legal challenge.
Legal experts say the move may constitute contempt of court and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
The list of appointees spans high-profile individuals across the 23 LGAs, as well as academia and civil service veterans named to the commissions.
Analysts view the appointments as a consolidation of power by the Administrator, raising alarm about the legality, legitimacy, and implications for governance and democratic norms in the state.
Critics argue that Ibas’s defiance of the court ruling undermines the judiciary and further escalates political instability in Rivers State, already grappling with governance uncertainty following recent leadership transitions.
Civil society groups and legal practitioners have begun calling for immediate judicial enforcement and oversight from federal authorities.
The unfolding situation is expected to test the resilience of democratic institutions in Rivers State, and by extension, Nigeria’s broader constitutional order.
Credit: Independent except headline
