Rivers Indigenes Sue Tinubu, Sole Administrator, RSIEC Over LG Polls

Sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, has been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the planned conduct of the state’s local government election.

The state government, led by Admiral Ibas, has fixed August 30, 2025 for the election.

They joined President Bola Tinubu and the state electoral body as defendants.

In the suit, the plaintiffs, Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo, and Comfort Agbom, all indigenes of Rivers State, said the atmosphere was not conducive for the proposed election.

According to the plaintiffs in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025, filed through their lawyer, Sunday Ezema,  they are asking the court to interpret whether the scheduled local government council elections in Rivers State could be lawfully conducted during the period of the current state of emergency.

According to them, the President, in the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, stated that there was “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and “clear and present danger of the looming crises” that have affected “good governance, peace, security and order” in Rivers State.

The plaintiffs, therefore, contended that the emergencies in the state have not abated or ceased to date, which is why the President has not revoked or suspended the State of Emergency to date.

Based on this, they questioned the validity of conducting the council elections during a state of emergency when there was no “public order” and “public safety” yet in the state.

They claimed that voters cannot vote in an emergency or a breakdown of “good governance, peace, security and order” in Rivers State.

In the suit filed on August 11, 2025, the plaintiffs prayed the court to stop the conduct of the council elections fixed for 30th August, 2025 or at any other date during the period of the State of Emergency, which has not ceased.

Suppose the elections are conducted during the state of emergency period. In that case, the Plaintiffs also pray that the Court set aside or nullify the polls for being a nullity.

It will be recalled that the Court later set aside the previous local government elections conducted by the suspended Governor Sim Fubara on grounds of irregularities, and this present court case appears to be tilting in the same direction.

The suit’s defendants are the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Rivers State Government, Vice-Admiral Ibok Iba (Rtd), and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

The plaintiffes prayed for the following reliefs: A declaration that the “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and “clear and present danger of the looming crises” in Rivers State upon which the 1st Defendant proclaimed a State of Emergency in Rivers State on 18th March, 2025, has not abated or ceased, hence the refusal of the 1st Defendant to revoke the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025 before or on 30″ August, 2025 or at any other date before the expiration of 6 months from 18″ March, 2025.

A declaration that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants cannot lawfully conduct the Local Government council elections in Rivers State, during the period of subsistence and/or the pendency of the State of Emergency in Rivers State.

A declaration that the “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and “clear and present danger of the looming crises” in Rivers State that led to the Proclamation of State of Emergency in Rivers State by the 1st Defendant, having not abated or ceased, any Local Government council elections conducted in Rivers State by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants during the period of, subsistence and/or the pendency of the State of Emergency in Rivers State, on 30″ August, 2025 or at any other date, is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void in its entirety.