Ex-Deputy Speaker Stanley-Uwom Sues to Halt Funding of Rivers LGs Under Sole Administrator Ibas

A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has taken legal action at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the Federal Government from releasing local government council funds to Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), the sole administrator appointed to oversee Rivers State.

The suit, filed on April 24, contends that under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and a Supreme Court judgement, Ibas does not have the constitutional mandate to appoint unelected caretaker committees to manage local governments.

Stanley-Uwom named as defendants President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Ibas, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Accountant-General, and Federation Account Allocation Committee.

He argues that the Constitution mandates all tiers of government to be democratically elected, stating, “Local government shall be by democratically elected Local Government Councils,” and that governance by any other means is unconstitutional and illegal.

The plaintiff seeks a declaration that the state of emergency in Rivers State has ceased, an order compelling Ibas to vacate office, and a court injunction preventing the release of funds to caretaker committees.

The suit also challenges the legality of fund disbursement to unelected officials and questions Ibas’s authority to remove and replace members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

In his affidavit, Stanley-Uwom, a traditional prince and former lawmaker under Governor Nyesom Wike, highlighted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s suspension was not supported by the required two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. He accused Ibas of mismanaging state funds without legislative approval.

The case awaits hearing.