Breaking: New twist in Rivers political impasse as court bars Ibas from resuming as Rivers ‘Sole Administrator’

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an order preventing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), a former Chief of Naval Staff, from resuming duties in Rivers State as the State’s sole Administrator, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Ibas was appointed Sole Administrator by President Bola Tinubu, who declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18, “to end the protracted political crisis in Rivers State.”

But riling in the suit filed by Hon. Edison Ogaranya, former Chief of Staff to the ‘suspended’  Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Justice M.W Danagogo of the Rivers State High Court agreed with Edison that the presidential pronouncement of State of emergency in Rivers State is unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void and of no effect.

He consequently barred Ibas from resuming as ‘Sole Administrator’ in Port Harcourt, as such a position is unknow under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended.

He granted the prayers of the former Chief of Staff to the ‘suspended’ Governor Fubara and urged all parties to maintain the status quo.