Ejike George, the former Chief Magistrate of Rivers State, recently resigned from the Rivers State Judiciary, citing a lack of training to follow orders from a military administration.
George made this statement during Thursday’s broadcast of Channels Television’s “Politics Today.”
“I am simply saying that I cannot take instructions from a military administrator. I cannot,” he said.
The Intercept reports that President Bola Tinubu announced the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd) as Rivers State Sole Administrator on March 18, 2025, after he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly members.
The president claimed that he could not stand by and let the political situation in Rivers worsen without doing something about it, and he based his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
Keep in mind that from 2015 to 2021, Ibas served as the Chief of Naval Staff.
The president’s action was criticised by the former magistrate, who said that there was no emergency in Rivers State that called for the suspension of Fubara and other officials and the imposition of military-style governance.
“It is not fair to the people of Rivers State. My reason for resignation is simply because I cannot adapt to the military style of adjudication that would be introduced by the reason of the sole administrator.
“As a magistrate, our courts are courts of summary jurisdiction. Our proceedings are not guided by the constitution of this country. That being the case, it means that I would take directives from my employer who is the Chief Judge of Rivers State.
“We, in turn, take some level of directive from the governor; that would have been the elected governor who had acted as the chief security officer of the state.
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“I am simply saying that I cannot take instructions from a military administrator. I cannot. In the entire 16 years that I served with the Rivers State Judiciary, I have taken instructions from civilian administrators. I do not know how I am going to adapt and now begin to take instructions from a military administrator. I find it very strange,” he stated.
He also took issue with the Rivers State Judicial Commission, which maintained that he did not quit but rather was due for voluntary retirement.
