PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has approved the appointment of administrators for the state’s 23 Local Government Areas, along with the reconstitution of suspended boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals. The appointments took effect from Monday, April 7, 2025.
The announcement was made in a government circular issued Wednesday by Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika.
However, the move has drawn sharp criticism and raised legal concerns, as a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had earlier barred Ibas from making such appointments. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed had issued an interim injunction in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, restraining Ibas and his agents from appointing any administrators under any title to oversee local governments. The court fixed April 14 for the substantive hearing of the matter.
This appointment is the latest development in an ongoing political standoff in Rivers State. The crisis, which began with the expiration of the tenure of local council chairmen elected during former Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration, has deepened in recent months. Though their terms ended in June 2023, 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike attempted to extend their tenure—an action that was rejected by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In response, Fubara dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen, sparking a fierce political battle over control of the grassroots governance structure.
Despite legal challenges, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission conducted new elections on October 5, 2024. However, these were later nullified by Governor Fubara after a Supreme Court ruling in February 2025 favored the Wike-backed faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor then directed heads of local council administrations to take charge until fresh elections are conducted.
Fubara’s supporters have since accused Ibas of overstepping his authority by unilaterally appointing new LGA administrators in defiance of constitutional and judicial processes. The matter is now before the courts.
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a state of emergency declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, aimed at stabilizing Rivers State amid its deepening political unrest.
With a key court hearing set for next week and tensions still high, the battle for control in Rivers politics shows no sign of abating.
