Rivers chief magistrate resigns over ‘quasi-military’ rule

A Chief Magistrate in Rivers State, Ejike King George, has resigned from the judiciary, citing deep unease with the state’s recent turn toward what he described as a “quasi-military administration.”

In a resignation letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Magistrate George voiced strong disapproval of the political developments following President Bola Tinubu’s imposition of a state of emergency in the state.

Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state assembly last month, citing escalating political instability and threats to security.

In their place, the president appointed former Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator for an initial six-month period.

George’s letter condemned the new political arrangement as “alien” and “antithetical” to the principles of democracy and 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,” he wrote.

With 22 years of legal practice under his belt — 16 of them as a Magistrate in Rivers under various democratic regimes — George said continuing under the current system would amount to “tacit and naïve acquiescence.”

He concluded his resignation on a note of appreciation, stating, “Thanks, Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”

The resignation marks a significant moment in the unfolding tensions within Rivers’ political and judicial landscape, raising concerns about the broader implications of federal intervention in state governance.