- Vice Admiral Ibas reconstitutes boards despite federal court injunction
In a controversial move that defies a Federal High Court order, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has approved the appointment of administrators for all 23 local government areas in the state.
The decision came barely 24 hours after Justice Adam Muhammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt issued an injunction restraining Ibas from making such appointments. The order was granted in a case (Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025) filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by civic advocate Courage Msirimovu.
Despite the court’s directive, the appointments were announced in a statement issued early Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika, who confirmed that all the appointments take immediate effect.
Among those appointed are Mr. Okroiyobi Animete for Abua/Odual LGA, Mr. Goodluck M. Iheanacho for Ahoada East, and Mr. Promise Jacob for Ahoada West, along with administrators for the remaining 20 LGAs.
Reconstitution of Suspended Boards
In addition to the local government appointments, Vice Admiral Ibas approved the reconstitution of various boards, commissions, and parastatals across the state. These institutions had previously been suspended following the administrator’s assumption of office.
“All appointments take effect from Monday, the 7th of April 2025,” the SSG’s statement read.
Background: Shake-up in State Institutions
Last week, the sole administrator suspended all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state with immediate effect. He also annulled all ongoing procurement and tender processes, citing the absence of an appropriation law and referencing a recent Supreme Court ruling.
MDAs that had conducted procurement exercises were instructed to refund fees collected from contractors, in a sweeping reversal aimed at resetting governance processes in the state.
As tensions mount between the executive decisions of the administrator and the judiciary’s cautionary stance, legal analysts warn that Rivers State may be on a collision course between constitutional governance and administrative overreach.
