Tensions within the Rivers State judiciary and political establishment intensified on Monday following the voluntary retirement of a senior magistrate and a demand by the state government for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to refund N300 million previously allocated for its now-relocated 2025 Annual General Conference.
In a strongly worded resignation letter, Magistrate Ejike King George announced his retirement from the state judiciary after 16 years of service, citing unease with the “quasi-military administration” currently governing Rivers State under a federally appointed Sole Administrator.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern state like ours,” George wrote. “Having put in16 out of my 22 years of legal practice into this judiciary, I find it difficult to work with the current setting, as doing so would amount to a tacit and naïve acquiescence.”
His departure added to growing unrest over the imposition of a Sole Administrator in the state—a move justified by the Federal Government as a constitutional response to a breakdown of democratic processes in the region.
The Nigeria Bar Association had announced last week that it would move its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, citing concerns over the rule of law and democratic governance under the current state of emergency in Rivers.
In response, the Rivers State Government issued a strongly-worded rejoinder on April 14, denouncing the NBA’s claims as “misleading” and “uncharitable.”
Signed by Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Assistant on Media, the statement defended the Sole Administrator’s mandate as a constitutionally sanctioned transitional arrangement. It pointed to a recent Supreme Court judgment (SC/CV/1176/2024) validating administrative actions taken during the emergency period.
The government went a step further, demanding that the NBA return the N300 million already paid for hosting the conference in Port Harcourt, calling on the association to “demonstrate integrity” in the wake of its “principled stance.”
While acknowledging the NBA’s autonomy in choosing its conference venue, the Rivers State Government urged the legal body to adopt a more constructive role in addressing the state’s democratic challenges.
“Rather than contributing to unnecessary tension,” the statement read, “we expect the NBA to engage constructively, offering solutions instead of amplifying divisive narratives.”
The back-and-forth between the Rivers State Government and the NBA, compounded by judicial resignations, highlights the escalating political and constitutional tensions in the state. With questions over democratic restoration, rule of law, and governance legitimacy dominating public discourse, the situation in Rivers continues to attract national attention.
Observers say that how the Federal Government and legal institutions handle the fallout may shape the broader narrative of constitutionalism and federal intervention in Nigeria’s democratic development.
Meanwhile, hundreds of women dressed in white costumes marched through Aba Road on Monday to declare support for the interim administration in the state.
The women, who carried placards denouncing the administration of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, urged the Sole Administrator to investigate Fubara’s administration and correct the anomalies of his government.
The demonstration came days after another set of women had marched through the streets of Port Harcourt to call for the restoration of the government of Fubara.
An online group, Rivers Integrity Online, said Monday’s demonstration was orchestrated to make the Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, extend his stay in office beyond the six months declared by the president.
