Chief Magistrate Resigns Over Rivers Emergency Rule, Decries ‘Quasi-Military Administration’
Chief Magistrate Ejike King George of the Rivers State Judiciary has tendered his resignation, protesting what he described as the imposition of a “quasi-military administration” in the state following the recent declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.
President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Professor Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing ongoing political instability. In their place, he appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the state’s sole administrator.
In a resignation letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission, Magistrate George expressed his discomfort with the current political direction of the state, calling it “alien” and “antithetical” to the principles 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 read.
Reflecting on his career, George noted that out of his 22 years in legal practice, he had served 16 years as a Magistrate in Rivers State under various democratic governments. He stated that continuing to serve under the current arrangement would be tantamount to “tacit and naïve acquiescence.”
He concluded his letter with a note of appreciation: “Thanks, Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
George’s resignation adds to the growing discourse surrounding the state of emergency in Rivers, which has sparked both support and criticism across various sectors.
