ABUJA – Leaders of the Ijaw Youth Council, Eastern Zone, have taken the Federal Government to the ECOWAS Court of Justice, challenging what they call the illegal suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalaye Fubara, and other elected officials by President Bola Tinubu.
The 12 plaintiffs, led by Comrade Ibiso Harry, are also contesting Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it a blatant violation of democratic principles.
In the lawsuit, marked ECW/CCJ/APP/18/25, the youth leaders are demanding that the court annul the suspension of democratic institutions in Rivers State and reverse all decisions made by the Sole Administrator appointed by Tinubu on March 18.
Their argument is based on several ECOWAS legal protocols, asserting that the President has no constitutional authority to remove or suspend a state governor who was also duly elected.
They claim the actions taken against Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State House of Assembly amount to a “political coup,” stripping Rivers citizens of their democratic rights and imposing an unconstitutional governance structure.
“The illegal removal of our governor and other elected officials is a direct assault on democracy,” they stated, warning that allowing such a precedent threatens Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Filed by a legal team led by Chief Festus Ogwuche, the lawsuit argues that using a state of emergency to justify overriding elected governance is undemocratic.
Meanwhile, no hearing date has been set for the case.
