President Bola Tinubu is facing a legal challenge following his declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State. A lawsuit has been filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioning the constitutionality of his decision to suspend the state’s elected government and appoint a sole administrator.
The legal action follows Tinubu’s suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday. In their place, the president appointed retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as the state’s sole administrator.
Lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly ratified the emergency rule on Thursday, further escalating tensions surrounding the move.
The lawsuit was initiated by lawyer Daniel Wariboko, representing himself and other registered voters in Rivers State. The plaintiffs are raising several constitutional questions, including:
Whether a dispute between a governor and the state assembly justifies declaring a state of emergency under Nigeria’s Constitution.
Whether the president has the authority to suspend an elected government in any state.
Whether the appointment of a sole administrator is legal when elected officials are still in office.
Whether the emergency rule declared on March 18, 2025, is unconstitutional.
Whether the suspension of elected officials violates the rights of Rivers State citizens under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Whether the National Assembly had the power to approve the president’s suspension of the state government.
Wariboko and his fellow plaintiffs are requesting the court to declare the emergency rule unconstitutional, null, and void. They also seek the reinstatement of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the state legislators, while calling for a halt to any future presidential appointments of sole administrators in Nigerian states. Furthermore, they demand that the National Assembly be barred from approving such suspensions in the future, emphasizing the need to protect democracy in Rivers State.
