A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled May 12, 2025, for a substantive hearing in a suit filed by former federal lawmaker Farah Dagogo, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, names President Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Nigerian Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as defendants.
Dagogo, a former governorship aspirant in the 2023 general elections, seeks relief against the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The court granted an order for substituted service, allowing the plaintiff to serve the defendants via DHL courier service to their last known addresses due to difficulties in effecting personal service.
Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed ruled that hearing notices and other relevant court documents be served on the defendants after reviewing an affidavit deposed to by Solomon Ayotamuno, a litigation assistant.
Truth Live News recalls that President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending democratic governance for six months and appointing Ibas as sole administrator, an action ratified by the National Assembly.
This move has sparked widespread criticism from various interest groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The court’s decision on May 12, 2025, will determine the fate of the suit challenging the legitimacy of the emergency rule in Rivers State.