Rivers: Court adjourns suit challenging appointment of LG administrators

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned to May 22, 2025, the hearing of a suit seeking to bar Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, from appointing local government administrators across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

The claimant, Oyingi Imiete, at the resumed hearing, told the court that the matter was scheduled for hearing of a motion for interlocutory injunction.

Imiete, however, revealed that the respondent had already appointed sole administrators for all 23 LGAs on April 9, 2025, allegedly after receiving the court’s order and originating processes in the suit.

He explained that service was effected by the court bailiff on the same day as the appointments.

“The matter came up for motion. The applicant’s motion and they said the motion was withdrawn by the applicant.

“The applicants had equally put in the motion for mandatory restorative order and it equally has been fixed for hearing because the actions of the respondent have greatly affected the subject matter before the court,” the claimant said.

Responding, counsel for the defendant argued that the originating processes were not served until two days after the appointments and supported the claimant’s decision to withdraw the motion, calling the appointments a completed act.

He added that his client had not yet been served the new motion and reserved the right to respond when properly served.

Both parties agreed to proceed with a substantive hearing of the originating summons.

The court stressed that despite perceived frivolity, all applications must be heard and stated that the facts and issues remain within the purview of the parties.

The case was subsequently adjourned to May 22, 2025, for further hearing.

The suit, filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative and its coordinator Courage Nsirimovu, seeks to stop the administrator from making such appointments, which the plaintiffs argue are unconstitutional and violate the principles of democratic governance.

Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, on April 7, granted an interim injunction barring Ibas from proceeding with the appointments and summoned him to appear before the court to explain why the injunction should not be made permanent.

However, the Sole Administrator went ahead to make the appointments, which drew criticisms from civil society organizations.