An Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the recent appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
Jideobi is asking the court to nullify all actions and decisions made by Ibas in his capacity as Sole Administrator, arguing that the appointment is unconstitutional and has no legal standing.
The plaintiff is also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain President Tinubu from removing, suspending, or interfering with the tenure of any elected governor or deputy governor in Nigeria.
He further demands an order barring the President from appointing a Sole Administrator for any state in the federation.
In his suit, filed through a team of lawyers led by Chimezie Enuka, Jideobi is challenging Tinubu’s authority to appoint a state administrator, citing various sections of the 1999 Constitution.
He argued that the removal or interruption of a governor’s tenure is only permitted under specific constitutional provisions, none of which justify the President’s actions in Rivers State.
“The purported suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State by the President on March 18, 2025, is unconstitutional, null, and void,” the suit states.
Jideobi further argued that Nigeria’s federal system is based on separation of powers, making it unlawful for the President to unilaterally remove a state governor. He warned that allowing such a precedent could lead to widespread political instability.
“I have never seen the term ‘Sole Administrator’ in the 1999 Constitution,” he stated.
The lawyer insists that the court’s intervention is necessary to uphold the rule of law and prevent potential abuse of power. He is asking the court to order Ibas to vacate the Rivers State Government House immediately.
No date has been set for the hearing.