KEY POINTS
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Court adjourns Rivers emergency case to May 26, 2025.
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Dagogo questions Tinubu’s power to suspend elected officials.
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Focus keyphrase Rivers State emergency rule challenge dominates court debate.
The hearing in the Rivers State emergency rule case has been rescheduled for May 26, 2025 by a federal court located in Port Harcourt.
Tinubu’s power faces legal challenge in Rivers State emergency rule challenge
Farah Dagogo, a former member of the House, filed the lawsuit, contesting President Tinubu’s right to suspend the assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
President Tinubu, the Senate, the House Speaker, and Sole Administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas were all named as defendants in the complaint by Dagogo.
At Monday’s session, Ibas’s only representative, Senior Advocate Kehinde Ogunwumiju, requested additional time from the court to answer.
Cosmas Enweluzo, Dagogo’s attorney, informed the court that all defendants had received court documents even though they were unable to appear.
Although he allowed the adjournment, Judge Adamu Mohammed cautioned the parties that he would not put up with any needless hold-ups in the future.
Following the hearing, Enweluzo informed reporters that the president is not legally authorized to dissolve assemblies or remove an elected governor.
“The president cannot act like a ‘tin god’; he has no power to overrule the people or suspend elected officials,” he said.
Four million people cannot be governed by presidential decree alone, according to Enweluzo, who also claimed that the emergency declaration is unconstitutional.
“Insecurity persists in Benue, Plateau, and Borno, yet no emergency was declared in those areas,” he added, contesting the security assertion.
Enweluzo added, “Rivers State has stayed comparatively calm.” “Removing elected leaders or installing an unelected administrator is not justified by security concerns.”
He further stated that the fifth defendant’s attorney informed the court that their team was submitting a response to the court registry.
An adjournment was requested by the defense to complete filings. Since it was their first request of such kind, Enweluzo consented, citing fairness.
Court moves hearing date in Rivers State emergency rule challenge
After accepting the explanation, the court formally rescheduled the case’s next hearing for May 26 and issued a warning against further postponements.
According to Business day, on March 18, President Tinubu proclaimed emergency rule in Rivers State, citing a regional political crisis and increasing insecurity.
Under executive authority, he imposed a six-month suspension on Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the whole state assembly.
Tinubu instructed former navy chief Ibok-Ete Ibas to take complete command of the state and nominated him as the only administrator.
