A civil society organization, Initiative for Freedom, Conflict Prevention and Social Integration, has filed a fresh suit at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, challenging the legality of the National Assembly’s ratification of the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The group is also contesting the powers of the National Assembly to constitute a committee to oversee emergency rule in the state and to receive the 2025 budget of Rivers State. The defendants in the suit include Vice Admiral Ibas (rtd), the Attorney General of the Federation, and the National Assembly.
This legal action comes weeks after all cases related to the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State were transferred to the Federal High Court in Abuja, pursuant to Order 49 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules.
When the matter was mentioned in court on Monday, counsel to the plaintiff, Kingdom Chukwuezi, urged the court to examine the National Assembly’s actions in light of the reliefs sought. In response, counsel to the defendants, Ola Faro, requested additional time to file a reply to the originating summons.
