Rivers Emergency Rule: S/Court Reserves Judgment In PDP Govs’ Suit

ABUJA – A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Jus­tice Inyang Okoro has re­served judgment in a suit by some PDP governors, challenging the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

The panel announced this on Tuesday after par­ties in the suit had adopted their processes.

Plaintiffs in the suit are the Attorneys General of 20 states, while the defen­dants are the Federal Gov­ernment and the National Assembly.

At the beginning of the proceeding, the 5th plain­tiff, Delta State government announced its withdrawal from the suit, which was not opposed by the coun­sel for the Federal Gov­ernment, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), who appeared for the plain­tiffs, while adopting his process before the court, noted that their case was not a denial of the presi­dent’s power to proclaim a state of emergency but to challenge the extent to which the proclamation can be made to affect the offices of the governor, dep­uty governor, and the state House of Assembly.

Fagbemi in his argu­ment for the Federal Gov­ernment, and in response to the courts question, if there was a threat in the process of the proclama­tion, stated there was none and that the plaintiffs have not been able to prove any.

He also noted that Rivers State was engulfed in crisis, involving the governor and the executives, prompting the president’s action.

The senior lawyer also submitted that the gover­nor, his deputy and the state House of Assembly were not removed but suspend­ed, as part of extraordinary measures required to bring decorum in the state.

Finally, the AGF argued that the president had no choice but a duty to act swiftly by declaring a state of emergency.

He, therefore, urged the apex court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.

Counsel for the National Assembly, Charles Yohila, associated himself with the AGF’s submission and urged the court to dismiss the case.

After listening to the parties in the suit, the apex court reserved judgment till a date to be communi­cated to parties in the suit.