Rivers Crisis: Sole Administrator Ibas Sacks All Fubara’s Appointees as PDP Governors Head to Supreme Court

The sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice-Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has dismissed all political appointees appointed by the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief of Staff, the administrator directed that the suspension takes immediate effect. Those affected include the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Commissioners, Special Advisers, and heads of government agencies, boards, and commissions. The affected officials have been instructed to hand over to the most senior civil servant in their respective offices.

The statement referenced the presidential directive that granted Ibas executive powers over the state following the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, 2025. The emergency rule led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

Meanwhile, seven governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have taken legal action against the Federal Government, challenging the suspension of Fubara and his deputy. The governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara, through their Attorneys-General, have filed a suit at the Supreme Court, arguing that Tinubu’s actions violate the 1999 Constitution and undermine democratic governance.

The governors are urging the court to declare that the President lacks the authority to suspend an elected governor under any circumstances, including during a state of emergency. They argue that Tinubu’s decision to appoint a sole administrator is unconstitutional and have called for the reinstatement of Fubara and his deputy.

Furthermore, they are challenging the legitimacy of the National Assembly’s approval of the emergency rule, arguing that it did not comply with the provisions of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. The governors have asked the Supreme Court to nullify the state of emergency declaration and bar the federal government from interfering in the governance of Rivers State or any other state in Nigeria.

This legal battle is expected to set a significant precedent on the limits of presidential power in state governance.