A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Friday summoned President Bola Tinubu and seven others over the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The other respondents in the suit include the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Also named in the case are the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
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Filed under Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, the case was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, along with Precious Elekima and Inanna Wright Harry.
The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of the emergency declaration, asking the court to determine whether President Tinubu’s proclamation on March 18, 2025, was unconstitutional, null, and void.
“And a breach of Article 13 of the African Charter on human and people right (Ramification and Enforcement Act and Section 305 3(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 an amended.’’
They also requested a court order preventing the state administrator from appointing caretaker committees for the 23 Local Government Councils or selecting commissioners for the state executive council.
“And or award contracts whatsoever in the state and or spending from the state government treasury.”
The plaintiffs also requested a court order to restore democracy in Rivers State by reinstating the Executive and Legislative arms of government, which were suspended on March 18, 2025.
Additionally, they sought a perpetual injunction preventing the President from further suspending democratically elected officials in the state.
The court granted the defendants 30 days to respond to the summons, warning that if they failed to do so, the case might proceed in their absence.
The summons was filed by Ebere R. Ugwuja, Esq., the legal representative for the plaintiffs.
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