A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has taken a firm stance against the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), following his controversial decisions to dissolve all 23 local government caretaker committees and reconstitute the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), despite a court order.
The court had earlier summoned Ibas to explain why he should not be restrained from making such appointments, after a civic group led by Courage Msirimovu filed a suit challenging his actions.
However, in a surprising move, Ibas went ahead to appoint Dr. Michael Odey as the new chairman of RSIEC, along with six other members, including four university professors, in defiance of the pending court proceedings.
His decision sparked immediate backlash from political figures and civil society leaders. Jerry Omatsogunwa, media aide to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accused Ibas of ignoring judicial authority and acting like a military dictator.
Similarly, PANDEF leader Ambassador Godknows Igali condemned Ibas for dismantling democratic institutions and warned that his temporary role as Sole Administrator does not give him sweeping powers to remove or appoint officials.
Critics also raised concerns about the legality of Ibas’s position and his recent moves to suspend heads of government agencies, cancel procurement processes, and order the refund of contractor payments, citing the absence of a valid state budget.
Elder statesman Anabs Sara-Igbe called the appointments a “constitutional coup” and reminded Ibas that not even the President has the authority to dissolve elected bodies in a state.
The Rivers Emancipation Movement, a pro-democracy group, also rejected the new appointees, claiming they were politically aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and threatened protests if the appointments were not reversed.
