By The Federal Government has been taken to the ECOWAS Court in Abuja over the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The lawsuit, filed on March 20, 2025, seeks to overturn the suspension of elected officials and the dismantling of democratic structures in the state.
Comrade Harry Ibiso and 11 others, representing the Eastern Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council, argue that President Bola Tinubu exceeded his constitutional powers by removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State Assembly. They claim this move violates fundamental rights and undermines democracy.
The applicants are requesting the court to nullify all actions taken by the Sole Administrator appointed by the federal government on March 18. They argue that the removal of elected officials has stripped Rivers residents of their democratic rights, leaving them under an unconstitutional and arbitrary system of governance.
According to the plaintiffs, the president’s actions have effectively “emasculated” the political identity of Rivers State, depriving its citizens of leaders they freely elected. They insist that such interference contradicts democratic principles and undermines the nation’s constitutional framework.
The suit contends that a state of emergency should not be a pretext for overriding the authority of elected officials or dissolving legislative powers. The applicants maintain that the imposed governance structure is illegal and threatens the very essence of democratic freedom.
They further argue that allowing such federal overreach sets a dangerous precedent, questioning the legitimacy of Nigeria’s democratic institutions. “The enthronement of an illegal and unconstitutional order in any form within a constitutional democracy threatens the very idea of freedom,” the plaintiffs stated.
