Less than 24 hours after a Federal High Court reportedly issued an interim order restraining him from doing so, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), has approved the appointment of administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
The move was part of a broader administrative shakeup, including the reconstitution of previously suspended boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals. These changes were announced in a Special Government Announcement released Wednesday morning by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Ibibia Worika.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
The announcement comes amid significant legal controversy. On Tuesday, Justice Adam Muhammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted an interim injunction restraining the Sole Administrator from appointing LG administrators. The suit—numbered FHC/PH/CS/46/2025—was filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, a civil society group led by Courage Msirimovu.
Reacting to the development, Msirimovu said, “This is a blatant disregard for the rule of law. We are witnessing a dangerous trend where court orders are treated as mere suggestions. This undermines the very fabric of democracy and governance.”
Despite the announcement, the list of newly appointed LG administrators has yet to be made public.
In a related decision, Ibas has nullified all pending procurement and tender processes undertaken by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state. According to an earlier statement from the SSG, the cancellation was necessitated by the absence of an appropriation law following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
“All MDAs that carried out such tender processes are directed to refund the fees collected from contractors immediately,” the statement read.
This follows last week’s sweeping action by Ibas to suspend all heads of MDAs in the state, a move political observers see as a consolidation of control within the Rivers State administration.
Legal analysts are now closely watching how the standoff between the judiciary and the sole administration in Rivers State unfolds, with growing concern over the implications for governance and the rule of law.
