State Of Emergency: Group Seeks Expedited Hearing Of PDP Governors Supreme Court Appeal

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has been urged to grant an accelerated hearing of the suit filed  by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors challenging the declaration of a State of Emergency, and the suspension of democratically persons and institutions in Rivers State.

A Civil Society Group, Advocates for Democratic Nigeria, AFDN, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, insisted that there is an urgent need to reverse the unconstitutional contraption in Rivers State to save democracy and rule of law in the country.

The Source reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, proclaimed a State of emergency in Rivers State, citing the need to avoid the breach of law and order, and the protection of critical national assets as major reasons.

He, also, proceeded to appoint a Sole Administrator, after suspending the Governor, his Deputy and members of the State House of Assembly.

 The declaration has, however, continued to  draw scathing criticisms from across the country, with not a few seeking an immediate reversal of the situation.

The PDP Governors, obviously dissatisfied with the emergency rule, which suspended one of its own Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, last week, formally approached the Country’s Apex Court seeking a reversal of the situation.

In  a statement issued by its Spokesperson, Comrade Mazeem Idris, the AFDN called on the Court to expedite action on the appeal as well as grant the prayers being sought by the PDP Governors.

“We understand that the plaintiffs — Governors of Adamawa ,Enugu ,Osun ,Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara and Bayelsa States, based their summons on the eight grounds contained in the suit marked SC/CV/329/2025 where they want the Supreme court to determine whether the President has the constitutional authority to suspend a democratically elected structure in any state in Nigeria and whether President Tinubu’s state of emergency in Rivers state was not in negation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

“It is on this premise that we call on the apex Court to hasten the process of properly interpreting the provisions of Sections 1(2) 5(2) 176,180,188,and 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 ,to determine whether the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can lawfully suspend, or in any manner, interfere with the offices of a Governor and Deputy Governor of any of the 36 component states of the Federation, and replace them with his own unelected nominee as Sole Administrator under the guise of, or pursuant to a proclamation of a State of Emergency”, the group stated.

According to AFDN, the acceleration of hearing and the urgent resolution of the Emergency Rule in Rivers State, will ensure the de-escalation of tension.

The group noted that some actions taken recently by the Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, rtd, including the appointment of Local  Council Interim Officials, have considerably raised the political temperature of the State.