Seven governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have taken President Bola Tinubu to the Supreme Court, challenging his suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and state lawmakers were suspended for six months after Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18 and appointed a sole administrator.
Governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara argued that Tinubu had no constitutional authority to suspend elected officials.
Through their Attorneys-General, they urged the Supreme Court to rule that “the President has no powers whatsoever or authority to suspend a democratically elected governor and deputy governor of a state in the Federation of Nigeria under the guise of or pursuant to the proclamation of a state of emergency in any state of the federation, including the states represented by the plaintiffs.”
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They also sought a declaration that Tinubu lacked the power to suspend a state House of Assembly. The governors insisted the suspension of Fubara, his deputy, and lawmakers was unconstitutional and unlawful.
The suit further called for the nullification of the appointment of a sole administrator, arguing that Tinubu’s actions violated constitutional provisions.
Also, the governors questioned the legality of the National Assembly’s approval of the state of emergency, arguing that a voice vote was unconstitutional since the law requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Among their requests, the governors asked the Supreme Court to:
- Nullify the state of emergency proclamation.
- Restrain Tinubu and his agents from enforcing the suspension of Rivers’ elected officials.
- Prevent Tinubu from interfering in the duties and mandates of elected governors across the country.
The case now awaits a hearing at the apex court.