Rivers State Sole Administrator Ibas, President Tinubu Sued Over Local Government Election Plans
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), and President Bola Tinubu have been named as respondents in a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging plans to conduct local government elections in the state.
Also joined as defendants are the Rivers State Government and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025, dated August 11, 2025.
The action was instituted by five Rivers State indigenes; Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo, and Comfort Agbom who contend that prevailing security and public order conditions make a free and fair poll impossible.
Through counsel Sunday Ezema, the plaintiffs have urged the court to rule on whether any local government elections can lawfully proceed while a state of emergency remains in force.
They point to the President’s State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, which cites “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and warns of looming crises that threaten good governance and security.
The claimants argue that none of the emergency triggers have abated and that the proclamation has not been revoked or suspended, meaning the state remains under exceptional security measures.
They further assert that conducting elections without guaranteed public safety would deprive voters of meaningful participation, and note that the Rivers State government under Admiral Ibas has slated the polls for August 30, 2025.
Among other reliefs, the plaintiffs seek declarations that no local government council elections can lawfully take place during the state of emergency and that any election held on August 30 or any date before the emergency is lifted, is illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void. They also recalled that the last council elections under suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara were set aside by the court for irregularities.
