Tinubu Dragged to Court Over Fubara's Suspension, State of Emergency in Rivers

• SERAP has sued President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as the unlawful suspension of the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara; and others
• This was contained in a statement on Sunday, March 23, by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare
• Legit.ng recalls that recently, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state and suspended the governor and other elected officials for an initial period of six months

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - The Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Bola Tinubu over what it described as "the clearly unlawful" suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and Rivers state lawmakers.

Legit.ng gathered that the suit was brought by members of SERAP volunteer lawyers’ network in the oil-rich state.

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In a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday morning, March 23, SERAP said "democracy works best when everyone participates."

Also, in a statement, SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed that it filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja on Friday, March 21, via three members of its Volunteers’ Lawyers Network (SVLN) in Rivers state—Nengim Ikpoemugh Royal, Yirabari Israel Nulog, and Gracious Eyoh-Sifumbukho.

Oluwadare said:

“The rule of law would be a mere figure of speech if the people’s right to participation can be arbitrarily suspended or violated.

“Democracy is an inherent element of the rule of law. Nigeria’s democracy ought to have as its foundation respect for human rights and the rule of law."

Furthermore, SERAP argued that the suspension of Fubara and others contradicts both the Nigerian constitution and international legal obligations, citing the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.

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It said:

“The combined provisions of Sections 1(2), 14(1)(c), 176(1)(2), and 305(1) of the Nigerian Constitution create a delicate balance of rights and responsibilities, ensuring that the exercise of presidential power does not override the people’s right to participate in their own governance."

'Tinubu spot on with state of emergency in Rivers' - Don

Meanwhile, Profesor Muda Suraj Oladosu of the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University (LASU), has weighed in on the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state by President Tinubu, which was ratified by both chambers of the national assembly.

Speaking exclusively with Legit.ng, Prof. Oladosu dismissed claims that President Tinubu overstepped his constitutional boundaries, arguing that the declaration followed was necessary given the circumstances in the state.

He told Legit.ng:

"People should understand the political economy of that particular action, of bombing the oil pipes. It goes a long way to show how the revenue of the country will be affected. And if anybody is saying the president should still sit down and look, then that person is not helping this country. He or she is not helping the president. So, for me, the president has taken the right decision and whoever that is not comfortable with that should proceed to the court."

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Rivers: Primate Ayodele sends strong message to Tinubu over Wike amid Fubara’s suspension

Read more on Rivers' political crisis:

• Rivers: 6 times presidents have declared state of emergency in Nigerian states
• NBA sends message to Fubara amid political battle in Rivers with Wike

Rivers: Tinubu's govt deploys 10,000 troops

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Tinubu government deployed 10,000 Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel to Rivers state.

Afolabi Babawale, NSCDC spokesperson, confirmed the deployment. According to him, his colleagues were tasked with protecting critical infrastructure and preventing pipeline vandalism, particularly in the Niger Delta area of the most populous black nation on Earth.

Source: Legit.ng