The Federal High Court in Abuja has set April 10, 2025, to hear a suit seeking the removal of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The case, filed by legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi, challenges the constitutionality of Ibas’s appointment, arguing that it undermines the constitutional framework for governance in Nigeria.
The legal action, which lists President Bola Tinubu as the first defendant, calls for the court to declare Ibas’s appointment and the suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State as unconstitutional, null, and void.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, involves several defendants, including the Attorney General of the Federation, as well as the attorneys general of all 36 states.
In the suit, the plaintiff contends that the President does not have the constitutional authority to suspend or remove an elected governor or deputy governor, citing sections of the 1999 Constitution that safeguard the tenure of elected officials.
Jideobi, in his affidavit, argues that the Constitution does
not support the creation of the position of Solem Administrator in Rivers State and the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas to this role.
He points out that there is no provision in the 1999 Constitution for a Sole Administrator and that such an appointment violates the principles of federalism and the separation of powers.
The plaintiff also sought a declaration from the court affirming that only specific constitutional circumstances, such as those outlined in Sections 180, 188, 189, and 306, allow for the removal or interruption of the tenure of an elected governor.
Jideobi further requested the court to issue an order barring President Tinubu from appointing Sole Administrators in any state, asserting that such appointments are unconstitutional and destabilizing.
The plaintiff emphasized that the President’s actions could set a dangerous precedent, leading to the arbitrary removal of duly elected governors and deputy governors across Nigeria.
The plaintiff also highlighted the public interest in the case, stressing the need for judicial intervention to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
