President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, were noticeably absent in court on Thursday for a case challenging the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The suit, filed by Abuja lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, argues that the appointment is unconstitutional and seeks to have Ibas removed from the position, claiming only elected officials can govern a state under Nigeria’s constitution.
Despite the absence of legal representatives for Tinubu and the AGF, attorneys from Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo states were present, while Zamfara and Bauchi states had yet to respond.
The judge, Justice James Omotosho, rescheduled the hearing to June 11 and ordered that fresh notices be sent to all parties involved.
Jideobi is also asking the court to permanently stop the president from appointing sole administrators to any state, stating that only specific constitutional processes can remove an elected governor or deputy.
He insists the president overstepped his powers by suspending the elected governor and deputy of Rivers State on March 18 and replacing them with Ibas.
The lawyer argues that such actions threaten democracy and the rule of law, and he’s urging the court to uphold the constitution to prevent what he calls a dangerous precedent.
