A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers judiciary, Ejike King George, has voluntarily resigned from service, citing unease with the recent appointment of what he described as a “quasi-military administration” to oversee the state’s affairs.
In a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, Magistrate George expressed discontent over the direction of the state’s governance, stating it is “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of the legal profession.
“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,” the letter reads.
Highlighting his years of service, George noted that he dedicated 16 out of his 22 years in legal practice to the Rivers State Judiciary as a Magistrate under various democratic administrations.
He expressed concerns that continuing under the present structure would amount to “tacit and naïve acquiescence.” George ended his letter with gratitude: “Thanks, Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
In a move that has continued to stir debates, President Bola Tinubu last month im- posed a six-month state of emergency in Rivers following the political crisis in the state.
Tinubu cited escalating political tensions in the state and the breach of security for the decision. He suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Tinubu instead appointed a sole administrator for the state Ibok-Ete Ibas. And in a related develop- ment, the Rivers State Government has expressed disappointment over the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu and is demanding a N300 million from the body.
The government described the reasons given by the association for the decision as “misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming.”
In a statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator of the State, Hector Igbikiowubo, the Rivers State Government acknowledged the NBA’s right to choose its preferred venue but faulted the association’s suggestion that the current administration, headed by a Sole Administrator, was undermining democracy and the rule of law.
