- A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has summoned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key officials.
- The summons relates to the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
- The legal action is filed under suit number FHC/PH/CS/45/2025.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has issued a summons to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key government officials regarding the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The legal action, filed under suit number FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, was initiated by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, along with Precious Elekima and Inanna Wright Harry.
The plaintiffs are contesting the legitimacy of the emergency rule, urging the court to determine its constitutional validity.
Among the officials listed in the suit are Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the National Assembly, and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi. Other respondents include Rivers State Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The petitioners argue that President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency on March 18, 2025, contravenes constitutional provisions and is therefore unlawful. They cite violations of Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) and Section 305(3)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Their demands include a court injunction preventing the state administrator from appointing caretaker committees for the 23 local government areas, forming a state executive council, or executing financial transactions from the state’s treasury. Additionally, they seek the reinstatement of the suspended executive and legislative bodies, advocating for the restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State.
The plaintiffs have also requested a perpetual injunction barring President Tinubu from further suspending elected officials in the state.
The court has given the defendants a 30-day window to respond to the summons, warning that failure to do so may lead to the case proceeding in their absence.
