A suit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Johnmary Jideobi, seeking the removal of the recently appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), was stalled on Thursday due to the inability to serve some defendants.
This development occurred after the plaintiff’s counsel, Chimezie Enuka, informed Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was unable to serve Zamfara and Bauchi states, who are the 8th and 9th defendants in the suit, with hearing notices.
During Thursday’s proceedings, only the Attorneys-General of Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo were represented in court out of the 36 state governments’ attorneys-general that were listed as defendants in the suit.
Enuka informed the court that he would ensure that all the defendants were served on or before April 13.
He therefore sought an adjournment to enable him to complete the necessary formalities.
Justice Omotosho, with the agreement of the lawyers in the matter, adjourned the case until June 11.
Jideobi, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, listed President Bola Tinubu as the 1st defendant.
He also named the Attorney-General of the Federation, Ibas, and the Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the federation, as the 2nd to 39th defendants, respectively.
The plaintiff, in the suit, is praying the court to set aside “all actions and decisions (howsoever described or made) of the 3rd defendant (Vice Admiral Ibas (retd) in the name of Sole Administrator of Rivers State, same being unconstitutional, null and of no constitutional force throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria for all purposes.”
The plaintiff further prayed the court to issue a perpetual order of injunction, restraining the 1st defendant (Tinubu), either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants, or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, “from either removing, suspending or otherwise tampering with the tenure of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State (and indeed any other state in Nigeria)”.
He also sought an order of perpetual injunction, barring President Tinubu, “either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants, or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, from appointing any Sole Administrator into any State Government House in the 36 states of the Federation for any purpose whatsoever.”
