The Federal Government has not yet been served with a lawsuit reportedly filed by seven governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Supreme Court. The lawsuit challenges the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.
The governors involved in the suit are from Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara. They are asking the Supreme Court to overturn the emergency rule imposed by the President and nullify the six-month suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and members of the state House of Assembly.
The governors, through their attorneys general, argue that the President has no constitutional authority to suspend an elected governor or deputy under the pretense of a state of emergency. They maintain that such actions violate democratic principles and the autonomy of state governments.
Despite reports of the suit being filed, an official from the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja revealed that the government has not received any legal notice regarding the case. The official, who requested anonymity, stated that they had already prepared a response but had yet to be formally served.
“We have our response ready because for three days, we studied legal materials to prepare, but we have yet to be served. We are still waiting,” the official said.
Adding to the uncertainty, a Chief Press Secretary from one of the PDP governors in the South-West suggested that the lawsuit may not have actually been filed. He claimed that the reports about the case were “sponsored for a reason,” raising doubts about the legal challenge’s authenticity.
Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, recently spoke about the Rivers State crisis.
However, he did not confirm the lawsuit but instead urged the Federal Government to immediately reverse the emergency rule and reinstate Governor Fubara. He also called for the establishment of a reconciliation panel to address the political tensions in the state.
