The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.), and President Bola Tinubu have been dragged before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over plans to conduct local government elections in the state.
Also listed as defendants in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025 and dated August 11, 2025, are the Rivers State Government and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
The plaintiffs — Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo, and Comfort Agbom — all indigenes of Rivers State, in the suit, argued that the current atmosphere in the state is not conducive for the conduct of local government elections.
Through their lawyer, Sunday Ezema, they asked the court to determine whether the scheduled local government election in Rivers State can lawfully be conducted during the subsistence of a state of emergency.
According to them, in the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, the President declared that there was a “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and a “clear and present danger of looming crises”, which had undermined “good governance, peace, security, and order” in the state.
The plaintiffs contend that these emergency conditions have not abated or ceased, which is why the President has neither revoked nor suspended the state of emergency.
On that basis, they question the validity of holding elections in the absence of public order and safety, insisting that voters cannot meaningfully participate in such circumstances.
Recall that the Rivers State Government, under Ibas, has scheduled the local government election for August 30, 2025.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to halt the elections fixed for August 30, or any other date during the state of emergency, until the proclamation is lifted.
Should the election go ahead during the period of emergency, they are also seeking an order setting it aside as a nullity.
Their reliefs include, “A declaration that the clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and “clear and present danger of looming crises” in Rivers State, which led to the proclamation of a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, have not ceased, hence the refusal of the first defendant to revoke the proclamation before August 30, 2025 or within six months of its issuance.
“A declaration that the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants cannot lawfully conduct local government council elections in Rivers State during the subsistence of the state of emergency.
“A declaration that any such elections held on August 30, 2025 or any other date within the emergency period are illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.”
Recall that the previous local government election conducted under suspended Governor Sim Fubara was set aside by the court for irregularities.
