A lawsuit aiming to remove Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State faced a setback on Thursday when the court proceedings were delayed.
The case, filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, was postponed after the plaintiff’s representative, Chimezie Enuka, informed the court that some defendants had not been served with the necessary legal notice.
These defendants included officials from Zamfara and Bauchi states, who had not received their hearing notices in time.
During the hearing, the only attorneys present were those representing Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo states, as the other 32 state attorneys general listed as defendants were absent.
Enuka assured the court that all defendants would be served by April 13, leading to the court’s decision to adjourn the case until June 11.
In the lawsuit, which is registered under the case number FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, Jideobi has named President Bola Tinubu as the first defendant, followed by Vice Admiral Ibas and the attorneys general from the 36 states of Nigeria.
The plaintiff is asking the court to declare that Ibas’s appointment as Sole Administrator is unconstitutional and to reverse actions taken by Ibas in this role.
He also seeks a court order preventing the president from removing or replacing elected governors or appointing sole administrators in any state.
The plaintiff argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not allow the president to suspend or remove elected officials such as governors.
He further claimed that the term “Sole Administrator” is not mentioned in the constitution and that the president’s actions could lead to widespread instability if not addressed.
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