The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has approved the appointment of new administrators for all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
This development comes less than 24 hours after the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt reportedly restrained him from making such appointments.
Justice Adam Muhammed issued the interim order on Tuesday in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025, filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative, led by Courage Msirimovu, against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity.
In a move that appears to defy the court’s directive, Ibas has also approved the reconstitution of several boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals, which he had earlier suspended.
Details of the announcement were contained in a Special Government Statement issued Wednesday morning by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ibibia Worika.
Although the names of the newly appointed Rivers LG administrators were not disclosed, the statement emphasized that the appointments took immediate effect.
“His Excellency The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the appointments of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
“He has also approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals, earlier suspended.
“All appointments take effect from Monday, the 7th of April 2025.”
Last week, Ibas suspended all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state with immediate effect, sparking widespread debate about governance and legal boundaries in Rivers State.
In a separate development, the sole administrator also cancelled all ongoing procurement and tender processes initiated by the MDAs.
The cancellation, according to an earlier statement also issued by the SSG, was due to the absence of an appropriation law and the implications of a recent Supreme Court judgment.
Ibas further directed all MDAs that had received procurement-related fees to refund them to contractors immediately.
This swift series of administrative decisions, particularly the appointment of LG administrators in the face of a court order, is likely to intensify ongoing political and legal debates in Rivers State.