Federal High court summons Tinubu, National Assembly leadership, others over state of emergency

As the controversy over the ststof emergency declared in Rivers State continues soaring, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has issued a summons to President Bola Tinubu and seven others regarding the matter.

Other names summoned in the suit include the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the National Assembly; and the Attorney General of the Federation.

The rest joined in the suit are the Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Acoording to sources, the case, with Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, Precious Elekima, and Inanna Wright Harry (Plaintiffs ) who are challenging the legality of the emergency declaration and seeking the court’s interpretation of its constitutionality.

The plaintiffs whose case was filled by by Ebere R. Ugwuja, ESQ, are questioning whether President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, is “unconstitutional, null, and void.”

They strongly argue that the move constitutes “a breach of Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) and Section 305(3)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

It is to this end that they are seeking an order from the court restraining the Rivers State Administrator from appointing caretaker committees for the 23 local government councils, forming a state executive council, awarding contracts, or making any financial transactions from the state treasury.

The plaintiffs also demanded the “restoration of democracy in Rivers State” by reinstating the suspended Executive and Legislative arms of government as well as seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the President from further suspending democratically elected officials in the state.

Information available says, the defendants have been given 30 days to respond to the summons, warning that failure to respond could result in the case proceeding in their absence.