Court Adjourns Suit Challenging Suspension of Rivers Governor, Assembly Members

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has adjourned to May 26, 2025, a constitutional suit challenging the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu, and members of the state’s House of Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The suit, filed by former federal lawmaker and 2023 Rivers State governorship aspirant Dr. Farah Dagogo, contests the legality of the President’s March 18 declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the subsequent appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as the state’s Administrator. The President cited escalating insecurity as the reason for his action.

Dagogo’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Cosmas Enweluzo, argues that the President’s actions are unconstitutional and exceed the powers conferred on him by the Nigerian Constitution. The suit, registered as FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, lists five defendants: President Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Nigerian Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Vice Admiral Ibas.

At Monday’s proceedings, Enweluzo informed the court that all defendants had been served. However, only Vice Admiral Ibas was represented in court, through his counsel Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, who requested additional time to file a response. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed granted the extension but warned that the court would not entertain further delays when the matter resumes.

Addressing the media after the session, Enweluzo emphasized that the President has no legal authority to suspend democratically elected state officials or install an unelected administrator. “The President cannot act as a ‘Tin god.’ He lacks the authority to suspend duly elected officials or assume control over the governance of more than four million citizens in Rivers State. This action is a constitutional aberration and cannot stand,” he said.

Enweluzo also challenged the basis of the emergency declaration, arguing that other states grappling with more severe security challenges—such as Benue, Plateau, and Borno—have not faced such federal interventions. “Rivers State remains relatively peaceful,” he stated.

He commended Dagogo for initiating the lawsuit, asserting that the people of Rivers State have a constitutional right to be governed by elected representatives, not appointees of the federal government. Regarding the adjournment, he explained that while Vice Admiral Ibas’s counsel requested more time to respond, none of the other defendants had filed any response or entered an appearance.