Rivers: Lawyers ask Tinubu to disclose authorization for appointment of LG administrators

[Newsman]

A group of Nigerian legislative lawyers, under the aegis of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, has given President Bola Tinubu seven days to disclose provisions of the state of emergency proclamation in Rivers State which empowered the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), to appoint sole administrators for local government areas. DAILY POST reports that Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast on 18 March 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. Justifying the decision, the President said he was “greatly disturbed about the political crisis” in the state and accused Governor Sim Fubara of demolishing the State House of Assembly building. Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, were suspended for an initial period of six months. A retired Vice Admiral, Ibas, was appointed as Sole Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state during the emergency period. About a month after taking the decision,
Tinubu is still under fire from several quarters, with many Nigerians questioning the legality and propriety of the decision. However, the controversy surrounding the emergency rule heightened after the sole administrator, Ibas, appointed sole administrators for the 23 local government councils in Rivers State, despite a court order which restrained him from taking such action. Meanwhile, the emergency rule saga in Rivers State has taken a new twist after the lawyers group, ALDRAP, wrote Tinubu, demanding specific provisions of the state of emergency declaration that gave Ibas powers to appoint sole administrators for the local governments. ALDRAP made the demand in a letter dated 17th April 2025, signed by its Secretary, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja. The letter was premised on Section 3 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, which stipulated that the sole administrator shall administer Rivers State during the period of emergency in accordance with Regulations issued by President Tinubu. The letter, addressed to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, is titled, ‘Request for information brought pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 – Request for confirmation of any Regulations enacted by His Excellency Mr. President that empowers the sole administrator of Rivers State to appoint sole administrators of the twenty-three (23) local government area (LGA) councils of Rivers State’. The lawyers group, in the letter, also announced that their members would boycott all high courts, magistrate courts and customary courts in Rivers LGAs, as well as other institutions of the local councils. The boycott is a protest against the appointment of the LG sole administrators. Parts of the letter read, “By way of introduction my name is Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, I write in my capacity as the Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners – ALDRAP. “We are a professional Association of lawyers established in the year 2017. Our primary object is to promote adherence and compliance with professional standards in enactment and implementation of legislation. “We provide training for lawyers and legislators as well as undertake public interest litigation to achieve our primary objective. “In line with this primary objective, we are writing to seek strict compliance by both the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, the National Assembly and your good self, (and other stakeholders whom we have copied in this letter) with the legislation that proclaimed a State of Emergency in Rivers State. “I write pursuant to Section 3 of the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, wherein it is expressly stated that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State shall administer Rivers State during the period of emergency in accordance with Regulations issued by His Excellency, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A copy of the Gazette is enclosed. “Therefore, I write under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to request a copy of any such Regulation made pursuant to the said legislation which authorises the Sole Administrator to appoint Sole Administrators of the 23 LGAs of Rivers State, as he recently did. “While awaiting your response, our members shall undertake a boycott of all the High Courts, magistrate courts and customary courts within all the LGAs of Rivers State and other institutions of the said LGAs of Rivers State. “Take notice that in the event that we do not receive a formal response within seven days of the date of this letter, we shall take legal steps to assert our rights under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.” The letter was copied to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Oversight of Rivers State, Prof Julius Ihonvbere; Head of Secretariat, House of Representatives Committee on Rivers State, Prof. Jake Dan-Azumi; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; the Sole Administrator of Rivers State; and Secretary to the Government of the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika. Rivers: Lawyers ask Tinubu to disclose authorization for appointment of LG administrators

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2025/04/18/rivers- ... istrators/