A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has barred the Rivers State Sole Administrator from appointing Sole Administrators to run the 23 local council areas in the state.
The order was issued April 8, 2025 by the Justice, Adamu Turaki Muhammed in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 in the case filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Msirimovu against the Sole Administrator (Ibok Ekwe Ibas) in his official capacity.
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The Court stated that the motion exparte was filed on March 28, 2025 praying the court for many reliefs first of which is an order of interim injunction restraining the respondent or his agents from appointing the Sole Administrator or whatever name called for the 23 LGAs. They also prayed for any other order deemed necessary in the circumstance.
The justice said he found enough reason to grant the prayers and fixed April 14, 2025, for hearing.
The tenure of elected local council chairmen who worked with former Governor, Nyesom Wike, ended in June 2023, but they secured what they called term elongation from the 27 defected lawmakers loyal to Wike.
On expiry of their tenures, Gov Sim Fubara dissolved the councils and appointed caretaker chairmen. Both camps began to strive for control of the LGAs knowing they are usually the power base of anyone eager to control the political structure of the state and most other states.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) fixed election for October 5, 2024, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to Wike (a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP), who wields power across parties, took RSIEC to court. The election went ahead despite the lawsuit.
When the matter ended at the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025 in favour of the Wike-backed APC led by Tony Okocha, the governor removed the elected chairmen that had been nullified and asked heads of local council administration to take over pending a fresh election.
This was kicked against by the APC led by Okocha and the Martin Amaewhule-led defected lawmakers who mounted a hunt for the RSIEC chairman.
Source: Business Day