Former Rivers Deputy Speaker sues Tinubu to stop Sole Administratorâ??s funding
A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop the Federal Government from releasing funds meant for the Local Government Councils in Rivers State to the states Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd). In the suit, Stanley-Uwom urged the court to declare that under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and based on a recent Supreme Court ruling, the appointment of unelected officials as local government caretakers by Ibas is unconstitutional and invalid. Among his prayers, the former lawmaker is seeking an order declaring that the alleged state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu has ceased to be effective. He also wants the court to order Ibas to vacate the office of Sole Administrator and allow the elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to resume office. President Tinubu is named as the first defendant in the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/797/2025. Other defendants include the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate President, the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House, Vice Admiral Ibas, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Federation Account Allocation Committee. Through his legal team led by Mr. Sylvester I. Evbuomwan, Stanley-Uwom posed four constitutional questions for the courts determination, including whether the presidents emergency proclamation remains valid without a two-thirds majority approval by the National Assembly, and whether any funds from the Federation Account can legally be released to caretaker officials appointed by Ibas. In a supporting affidavit, the plaintiff described himself as a significant stakeholder in Rivers politics, having served in multiple leadership roles, including Deputy Speaker between 2015 and 2019. He stated that the state of emergency proclaimed in Rivers was not lawfully ratified by the National Assembly as it was allegedly approved through a voice vote rather than the constitutionally required two-thirds majority. Stanley-Uwom also alleged that Ibas, upon assuming office on March 19, 2025, dismissed all elected local government officials and replaced them with caretaker committees. He claimed the Sole Administrator further removed the chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), replacing them without due process. According to the affidavit, the 8th to 10th defendants have continued to release both state and local government funds to Ibas and the caretaker appointees, despite the absence of parliamentary appropriations. Stanley-Uwom argued that these actions violate constitutional provisions and the recent Supreme Court decision in AG Federation v. AG Abia State & Ors (2024), which affirmed the autonomy of local government administration. He concluded that granting the reliefs sought would serve the interest of justice. As of the time of this report, the court has not fixed a date for the hearing of the matter.The post
Former Rivers Deputy Speaker sues Tinubu to stop Sole Administrators funding appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.
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