In a case brought by the civil society group Initiative for Freedom, Conflict Prevention and Social Integration, or FREECON, contesting the legitimacy of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency in Rivers State, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has set November 14, 2025, as the date for its decision.
The former sole administrator of Rivers State, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and its chairman, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which was later involved in the case, are among the other defendants in the lawsuit.
In order to determine whether the President can, under any circumstances, create or appoint a Sole Administrator or any other authority to assume or exercise the Governor’s powers in the appointment of the Chairman and members of RSIEC, members of FREECON are requesting that the court interpret Sections 197 and 198 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Additionally, the group is arguing that the appointment of Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator—an office they contend is not recognized by the Constitution—does not grant him the statutory authority to designate the RSIEC Chairman and members to organize or conduct elections throughout Rivers State’s 23 Local Government Areas. This is due to the combined effect of the pertinent sections of the Constitution.
On Monday, following the parties’ attorneys’ arguments and adoption of their final written addresses, the presiding judge, Justice Turaki Mohammed, set the date for the judgment.
