BREAKING: Rivers State Electorates Drag Tinubu, Senate President, Others To Court Over 'Illegal State Of Emergency Rule'

The suit was filed connected behalf of the electorates by a lawyer, Daniel Wariboko, the sole plaintiff. He is suing for himself and different registered voters successful Rivers State, successful the suit which commenced done an Originating Summons. 

The electorates successful Rivers State person dragged President Bola Tinubu to tribunal implicit the removal of the elected Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, and the full members of the State House of Assembly.

In the suit, marked FHC/CS/550/2025, filed astatine the Federal High Court successful Abuja connected March 20, 2025, the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Attorney General of the Federation are listed arsenic 2nd to 5th defendants.

The suit was filed connected behalf of the electorates by a lawyer, Daniel Wariboko, the sole plaintiff. He is suing for himself and different registered voters successful Rivers State, successful the suit which commenced done an Originating Summons. 

He wants the tribunal to find whether, nether Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), a quality betwixt a politician and a authorities House of Assembly is grounds for declaring a authorities of emergency.

Other reliefs the Plaintiff sought for determination of the tribunal are: "Whether by the provisions of Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the 1st suspect has the powerfulness to suspend a democratically elected Executive and Legislative limb of the Government of a State of the Federation.

"Whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria tin nominate oregon name a sole head to tally the affairs of a State successful Nigeria erstwhile determination is an elected Governor, Deputy Governor and members of the House of Assembly

"Whether the declaration/ proclamation by the 1st suspect of a authorities of exigency successful Rivers State connected the 18th of March 2025 is not unconstitutional, null and void.

"Whether the declaration/ proclamation by the 1st suspect of a authorities of exigency and suspension of the democratically elected enforcement and legislative arms of Government of Rivers State is not a usurpation of the rights of the citizens of Rivers State to enactment successful the governance of their authorities contained successful Article 13 of the African Charter connected Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

"Whether the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents person the powers to ratify the suspension of the Executive and legislative limb of Government successful Rivers State proclaimed by the 1st suspect connected the 18th of March 2025," 

In the lawsuit that the reply to the six formulated questions are successful the affirmative, the Plaintiff wants the tribunal to state that the declaration/proclamation by the President of a State of Emergency successful Rivers State connected the 18th time of March 2025 is unconstitutional, null and void.

The Plaintiff besides sought among others: "A declaration that the Suspension of the Governor, Deputy Governor and Legislators of the Rivers State connected the 18th of March 2025 by the 1st suspect is unconstitutional, null and void.

"A declaration that the suspension by the 1st suspect of the democratically elected limb of authorities of Rivers State is simply a breach of Article 13 of the African Charter connected Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and Section 5 (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).

"A Declaration that the information and assignment of a Sole head for Rivers State by the 1st suspect is unconstitutional, null and void.

"A Declaration that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants bash not person the powers to ratify the suspension of the enforcement and legislative limb of Government successful Rivers State arsenic proclaimed by the 1st Defendant connected the 18th time of March 2025.

"An Injunction restraining the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants from ratifying the declaration/ proclamation of the 1st suspect made connected the 18th time of March 2025 suspending enforcement and legislative limb of Government successful Rivers State.

"An Order of this Honourable Court restoring ideology successful Rivers State and reinstating the Executive and Legislative limb of Government of Rivers State sworn successful connected the 29th of May 2023 and the 10th time of June 2023 respectively.

"An Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the 1st suspect and his successors-in-title from suspending democratically elected governors oregon legislators of Rivers State oregon immoderate different authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

The suit, filed done Wariboko's lawyer, Fidel Bassey, Esq., of Transafrican Legal Practice, is dated March 19, 2025. 

In a 29-paragraph affidavit successful enactment of the suit, Wariboko maintains that it is successful the involvement of justness for the tribunal to regularisation successful his favour, emphasising the request for tribunal involution to reconstruct ideology successful Rivers State.