The controversy around the suspension of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and lawmakers in the state has continued to generate heated reactions.
It would be recalled that after suspending Fubara in March, President Bola Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired) as the Administrator of Rivers State.
In response to the development, Dr. Farah Dagogo filed Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/50/2025 on April 9, 2025, arguing that the President’s actions were ultra vires and lacked any constitutional backing.
Dagogo is a former federal lawmaker and the Peoples Democratic Party Rivers State governorship aspirant in the 2023 general elections.
At the hearing on Monday, counsel to the plaintiff, Cosmas Enweluzo, SAN, informed the court that all defendants had been duly served and expressed readiness to proceed with the case.
This time, a Federal High Court adjourned until May 26 a constitutional suit challenging the suspension.
Following the appearance of only Vice Admiral Ibas—through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN—among all named defendants, the presiding judge, Justice Adamu Mohammed, granted additional time to respond to the originating summons. Kehinde Ogunwumiju had earlier requested an extension of time.
The defendants in the suit include President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired), Rivers State Administrator.
Speaking to journalists after the court session, counsel to the plaintiff, Enweluzo, reiterated that President Tinubu acted outside the Constitution.
“The President cannot act as a ‘Tin god.’ He does not have the constitutional authority to suspend elected representatives or govern over four million citizens by fiat. It is a constitutional aberration and must not be allowed.”
He continued: “The insecurity narrative is unfounded. In Benue, Plateau, and Borno States, serious security challenges persist, people are being killed, and some local governments remain under Boko Haram control.”
There are different cases across courts challenging the decision of the President, who has continued to insist and justify his moves as appropriate and constitutional.
