Serap filed Tinubu, an emergency declaration and moratorium involving Fubara.
Former Senate President Wabara and Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo (SAN) condemned Tinubu’s actions in Rivers State.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bra Tinub, explaining what he called “illegal suspension of democratic elections in Rivers State” leaders. The lawsuit challenges state declarations of state emergency and suspensions for Governor Similaye Fubara, Lt. Governor Ngozi ODU and Rivers state legislators.
The lawsuit was tagged FHC/ABJ/CS/558/2025 Last Friday by Yirabari Israel Nulog filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court Abuja last Friday; Nengim ikpoemugh Royal; and Eyoh -Sifumbukho, a member of the Serap Volunteer Lawyer Network (SVLN) in Rivers State.
The defendants in the case also include the Federal Attorney General and Attorney General, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN and Deputy Admiral IBOK-ETE IBAS (RTD).
Serap condemned the moratorium of Forbala and other elected leaders, calling it “inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution [as amended]transparent
Also Read: FCT Senator slams National Assembly Vote for Urgent Approval of Rivers
Therefore, the flora of formally registered voters is seeking an order that the Constitution does not authorize Tinubu to authorize Tinubu to authorize the state of emergency in the River State, and he also does not democratically have the right to suspend the governor and the leaders of the state. They urged the court to declare the president’s actions “invalid and invalid”
According to their lawsuit, there should be a “closure of the governor, lieutenant governor and members of the Rivers Congress who declared democratic elections and was declared by the 1st defendant on March 18, 2025 that the state declared a state of emergency in the state as pure, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.”
The lawsuit also questioned the president’s appointment of his sole executive and insisted that there should be an order to put the Deputy Admiral as the sole executive in Rivers because he was not elected under a democratic situation.
“A declaration that the appointment by the 1st Defendant of the 3rd Defendant as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State consequent upon the suspension of the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and Members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State by the 1st Defendant on 18th March 2025 derogates from the provision of section 1(2) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and therefore is unlawful unconstitutional, invalid, invalid.”
Although, the date of the lawsuit has not been determined, Serap, represented by its lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, ruled that the suspension of formally elected leaders violated the constitutional provisions because “democracy is an inherent factor in the rules of law. Nigerian democracy should be the basis for its human rights and legal rules.”
On the same line, former Senate President and People’s Democratic Board Chairman Adolphus Wabara also condemned President Tinob’s declared state of emergency in Rivers.
Also read: Only in: Tinubu declares a state of emergency in the river, suspends Governor Forbala
Mr. Wabara said that Tinubu’s actions violated the basic principles of the Nigerian constitution and called for an immediate reversal.
“This action is a serious violation of the Nigerian Constitution, the basic legal document that guarantees Nigerians’ right to participate in the democratic process, and a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law.
“This is an attack on the nature of our Republic. It is an action to deal with the strongest condemnation and corrective measures of all good-willed Nigerians, the justice, civil society and the international community.
As the ability of my large party, BOT chair PDP; I am the president of the Senate, and I am Senator Adolphus Wabara, calling for the reversal of this attack on our democracy. “Wabala said
He also stressed that President Tinob’s actions undermined the civil rights of voting for his elected leader and viewed it as a sign of disrespect for human rights and a military dictatorship.
“President Bola Tinubu’s actions only remind Nigerians of the forgotten era of military dictatorship.
“The people of River State exercise their democratic rights in election of their leaders, including the governor, the lieutenant governor and the House of Representatives.
“These leaders are not appointed by the President or any other authority, but are chosen by the people to represent their interests.”
He made it clear that the Constitution did not authorize the president to replace the elected governor unless in a war or situation threatened national integrity that was not seen in Rivers. Wabara strongly condemned the president’s actions, noting that “the constitution does not authorize the president to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials.
“This type of action amounts to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental violation of the structure of the Nigerian federal.
“The president’s decision to replace the democratically elected officials with the unelected sole executive is nothing more than a democratic ridicule.”
Vabala also criticized the National Assembly for not questioning and in-depth review of the president’s decision. He warned that it should not be considered a “rubber stamp”
“The National Assembly should interact with Mr. President and find a way to take the doctrine necessary to save the situation and must defend our democracy and protect the rule of law.”
In the same way, Nollywood actor and Kenneth Okonkwo also condemned the president’s actions, noting that it was unconstitutional and undermined the rule of law. He called on Nigerians, civil society and other relevant institutions to take action against the President to uphold the country’s rule by military law, and therefore, the declaration and moratorium should be revoked.
Recall that President Tinob declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025. On the same day, he also suspended the governor, lieutenant governor and House members because what he said was tension threatening the security and economy of the country.
He also appointed the former chief of staff, Deputy Admiral Ibok-Iber Ibas (Retd.), who was sworn in as the state’s sole executive in the first six months.
