Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately relieve the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, of his duties for allegedly violating constitutional procedures and flouting directives from President Bola Tinubu.
Falana, in a statement made available on Thursday, cited provisions from an official Federal Government Gazette which stipulated that the operations of the Sole Administrator must align with regulations issued by the President.
According to the gazette, the Sole Administrator is to act “on the basis of such Regulations that may, from time to time, be issued by me,” as signed by President Tinubu.
However, Falana argued that no such regulations have been released by the President since the appointment was made. Despite this, the Sole Administrator has reportedly made new appointments and dismissed officials previously appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Condemning the actions, Falana described them as not only illegal but also a direct affront to presidential authority.
“The Sole Administrator has aggravated the illegality of his position by disregarding the directives of President Bola Tinubu,” he stated. “He should be removed without delay.”
Falana’s comments come amid an ongoing political standoff in Rivers State, where questions around the legitimacy of appointments and the constitutional balance between state and federal authority remain a subject of public discourse.