The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has postponed the hearing of a lawsuit aimed at halting the appointment of Local Government administrators by Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas. The matter will now be heard on May 22, 2025.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to reports obtained by NivoNews, the claimant, Oyingi Imiete, informed the court during Monday’s session that the case was originally scheduled for the hearing of a motion for an interlocutory injunction. However, Imiete noted that the defendant had already proceeded with the appointments on April 9, 2025, despite allegedly having been served court orders and initial legal documents prior to that date.

Imiete further explained that the motion for interlocutory injunction was withdrawn and replaced with a motion for a mandatory restorative order, which has now been slated for hearing. He argued that Ibas’ actions had directly impacted the core issue in dispute.

In response, counsel for the defendant contended that the originating legal documents were only served two days after the appointments were made. He backed the withdrawal of the initial motion, stating that the appointments were already a “completed act.” While he acknowledged that the new motion hadn’t yet been officially served, he reserved the right to respond once it is.

Both legal teams agreed to move forward with the substantive hearing of the originating summons. The court maintained that all motions, regardless of how inconsequential they might appear, must be considered and that the issues remain strictly between the parties involved.

Background

The case was filed by the PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative and its coordinator, Courage Nsirimovu, who argue that the appointments made by Ibas are unconstitutional and undermine democratic governance. On April 7, 2025, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed had issued an interim injunction restraining Ibas from making such appointments and directed him to appear in court to justify why the order should not be made permanent.

However, Ibas proceeded with the appointments, drawing sharp criticism from civil society groups and escalating the legal tensions surrounding the matter.