Showdown In Court: Petition Demands Ibas’ Exit As Rivers State Sole Administrator

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, lists President Tinubu as the first defendant, while Vice Admiral Ibas and the Attorneys-General of the 36 states are named as the second to thirty-ninth defendants.

Jideobi is requesting the court to declare all actions and decisions taken by Ibas in his role as Sole Administrator as unconstitutional, invalid, and without legal standing. He argues that these actions lack any constitutional foundation and should not have any legal effect nationwide.

“The actions of the third defendant, Vice Admiral Ibas, as Sole Administrator of Rivers State, are unconstitutional and should be declared null and void,” the suit states.

Additionally, the plaintiff is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent President Tinubu from interfering with the tenure of elected governors and deputy governors in Rivers State or any other state in Nigeria. He also requests an order barring the President, his agents, or any other individuals acting on his behalf from suspending or removing governors or appointing sole administrators.

Furthermore, the suit seeks a ruling prohibiting the President from appointing any Sole Administrator to a state government office, ensuring that only duly elected officials can hold such positions.

This legal action follows President Tinubu’s appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas as Rivers State’s Sole Administrator after suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In the originating summons, filed through a team of lawyers led by Mr. Chimezie Enuka, the plaintiff asks the court to determine whether the President has the constitutional authority to remove, suspend, or interfere with the tenure of a duly elected governor and deputy governor or appoint a sole administrator.

The plaintiff argues that, under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), an elected governor’s tenure can only be interrupted under specific circumstances outlined in Sections 180, 188, 189, and 306.

He therefore seeks declarations from the court that:

• The President has no constitutional authority to remove, suspend, or interfere with the tenure of a duly elected governor or deputy governor.

• The suspension of the Rivers State Governor and Deputy Governor by the President on March 18, 2025, is unconstitutional, null, and void.

• The appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas as Rivers State’s Sole Administrator is unconstitutional and legally ineffective.

• The court should nullify both the suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor and the appointment of the Sole Administrator