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FEDERAL HIGH COURT ORDERS TINUBU, AKPABIO, OTHERS TO RESPOND TO RIVERS EMERGENCY RULE CHALLENGE

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  CapitalTimesNews / 6 days
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• 2 min read

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has directed President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and five institutions to respond to a lawsuit contesting the legality of the state of emergency declared in Rivers State. The case, initiated by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation and two individuals, Precious Elekima and Inanna Wright Harry, seeks to overturn the emergency rule enacted on March 18, 2025, which suspended the state’s elected government. Defendants in the suit include the National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Rivers State Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria. The plaintiffs argue that the emergency declaration breaches constitutional provisions and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, calling it an “undemocratic seizure of power” that disregards the mandate of Rivers State voters. Among their demands, the applicants urge the court to invalidate the emergency rule, reinstate the ousted governor and legislature, and prohibit the Sole Administrator from forming caretaker committees, approving contracts, or managing state finances. They further seek a permanent injunction to prevent future federal interference in the state’s democratic processes. Presiding Judge Justice Abdulaziz Anka has given the defendants 30 days to file their responses, cautioning that proceedings may continue ex parte if they fail to meet the deadline. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ebere R. Ugwuja, stated, “This case is about upholding the rule of law and ensuring elected leaders are not arbitrarily removed without due process. Rivers citizens deserve their rightful government, not an unelected administrator.” The emergency declaration has drawn significant backlash, with critics labeling it a politically motivated maneuver. The court’s intervention marks a pivotal moment in the crisis, as legal and political analysts await the federal government’s defense. The outcome could set a precedent for federal-state power dynamics in Nigeria’s constitutional framework.