Court Adjourns Hearing On Rivers Sole Administrator’s Appointment Of LG Administrators

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned the hearing of a suit seeking to stop the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas, from appointing administrators across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas.

Naijaonpoint gathered that the hearing has now been rescheduled for May 22, 2025.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, claimant Oyingi Imiete informed the court that the matter was slated for the hearing of a motion for interlocutory injunction.

However, Imiete disclosed that the defendant, Ibas, had already made the appointments on April 9, 2025, allegedly after receiving the court’s order and originating processes related to the case.

“The matter came up for motion. The applicant’s motion was withdrawn by the applicant,” Imiete stated, adding, “The applicants had equally put in the motion for mandatory restorative order, and it has been fixed for hearing because the actions of the respondent have greatly affected the subject matter before the court.”

The defendant’s counsel responded by stating that the originating processes were not served until two days after the appointments were made.

He supported the claimant’s decision to withdraw the motion, labeling the appointments as a “completed act.”

The counsel further mentioned that his client had not yet received the new motion but reserved the right to respond when properly served. Both parties agreed to proceed with the substantive hearing of the originating summons.

The court emphasized that despite any perceived frivolity, all applications must be heard and declared that the facts and issues of the case remain within the purview of the parties involved.

Background Of The Legal Dispute

The suit, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative and its coordinator, Courage Nsirimovu, seeks to restrain Ibas from making appointments that the plaintiffs argue are unconstitutional and infringe on democratic governance principles.

On April 7, 2025, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed granted an interim injunction barring Ibas from proceeding with the appointments. The judge also summoned Ibas to appear before the court to explain why the injunction should not be made permanent.

However, despite the interim injunction, Ibas proceeded with the appointments, drawing criticisms from civil society organizations and further intensifying the legal dispute.