The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed April 10 to hear the suit that is seeking to sack the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Rtd.

The suit, which has President Bola Tinubu as the 1st defendant, has been assigned to Justice James Omotosho for hearing.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Vice Admiral Ibas, rtd, as well as Attorneys-General of the 36 States of the federation, were listed as 2nd to 39th defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025.

The legal action was instituted by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, who is praying the court to set-aside as void, “all actions and decisions [howsoever described or made] of the 3rd Defendant [Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd)] in the name of Sole Administrator of Rivers State, same being unconstitutional, null and of no constitutional force throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria for all purposes.”

The plaintiff is further praying the court to issue a perpetual order of injunction, restraining the 1st defendant (Tinubu, either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, “from either removing, suspending or otherwise tampering with the tenure of the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State [and indeed any other State in Nigeria].”

Likewise, an order of perpetual injunction, barring President Tinubu, “either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, from appointing any Sole Administrator into any State Government House in the thirty (36) of the Federation for any purpose whatsoever.”

In the Originating Summons he filed through a consortium of lawyers led by Mr. Chimezie Enuka, the plaintiff urged the court to determine: “Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1st Defendant herein] has any constitutional authority [whatsoever] to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State [and indeed of any other State in Nigeria] and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant for that State?”

Upon the determination of the question, he prayed the court to declare that upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, there is NO other circumstance contemplated by the Constitution for the removal OR interruption of the tenure of an elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State EXCEPT the circumstances contemplated under Sections 180, 188, 189 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“A declaration of this Honorable Court that in view of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has NO constitutional authority to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of a duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant herein for that State.

“A declaration of this Honourable Court that the purported suspension of the Governor and the Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/04/rivers-court-slates-april-10-to-hear-suit-against-tinubu-ibas-others/