A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed October 13, 2025, to hear a suit filed by a civil society organization, the Initiative for Freedom, Conflict Prevention and Social Integration, FREECON, against President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Rivers State Sole Administrator, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, and its Chairman.

FREECON approached the court seeking a determination on whether, by the combined reading and construction of Sections 197 and 198 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the President can, under any circumstance, create or appoint a Sole Administrator or any other authority to usurp, divest, transfer, or exercise the governor’s constitutional powers in appointing the chairman and members of RSIEC.

The group is also contending that the court should determine whether, by the combined effect of the relevant constitutional provisions, the Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, whom they argued is not recognized by the Constitution, has the statutory authority to appoint the RSIEC Chairman and members responsible for organizing, undertaking, or conducting elections across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.

DAILY POST reports that when the matter was called in court on Wednesday, counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, applied to join in the suit.

The application was not opposed by the claimants, and the presiding judge, Justice Turaki Mohammed, granted the request.

The defendants’ counsels also drew the court’s attention to their preliminary objection on the issue of jurisdiction.

Claimants’ counsel, Amegua Lezina, confirmed receipt of the motion and promptly served their response on points of law.

After hearing from the counsels, Justice Mohammed adjourned the case to October 13, 2025.

The adjournment automatically removed the proceedings from the vacation court schedule.

Rivers emergency rule: Court adjourns suit against Tinubu, Ibas, others