A pro-democracy group, Citizens for Democratic Watch (CDW), has urged President Bola Tinubu to call Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, to order following his recent appointment of local government administrators in defiance of a court order.
The group condemned the move as a “dangerous abuse of power” and a “direct attack on the constitution.” This comes just 24 hours after a Federal High Court restrained Ibas from making such appointments, which he reportedly ignored, going on to approve administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State.
In a statement released on Wednesday, CDW Executive Director Dr. Hassan Dantani warned that the action poses a serious threat to the country’s democratic foundations. “Appointing 23 sole administrators in clear defiance of a federal court order is not only unlawful — it is tyrannical,” Dantani said.
He added that no state of emergency should be used to justify overriding judicial authority or bypassing democratic structures.
CDW pointed to Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the existence of democratically elected local government councils. Dantani stressed that any attempt to replace this with unelected administrators undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent.
“Our democracy cannot function if unelected individuals are imposed to run local governments under military-style appointments,” he said.
The group warned that allowing the appointments to stand could embolden future political actors to disregard legal boundaries and undermine the judiciary.
“The blatant disregard for a valid court order should alarm every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation,” Dantani noted.
CDW called on the National Assembly to summon Ibas and address the situation urgently. “Democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency or political convenience,” the statement read.
The group concluded by demanding the immediate reversal of the appointments and the restoration of constitutional governance. “The people of Rivers State deserve legitimate, elected representation — not handpicked appointees,” Dantani added.
