Seven (7) Reasons Why the Appointment of LGA Administrators in Rivers State Is Raising Political Dust in Nigeria
INTRO: The recent appointment of Local Government Area (LGA) administrators by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has sparked legal uproar and intensified political tensions. Though framed as a governance necessity, the move has been widely criticized, contested in court, and viewed as a deepening of the already complex Rivers political crisis. Below are seven (7) key reasons why these appointments are generating such widespread controversy: 1. Contravention of a Court Order: Perhaps the most glaring issue is that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had already issued an injunction barring Ibas from making such nominations. The interim order, granted on March 28, 2025, explicitly restrained him and his agents from selecting any sole administrators pending a substantive hearing. Ibas engaged persons as LG administrators disregarding this order which has placed him on a collision course with the judiciary and civil society. 2. Exacerb...