The Federal Authorities has defended its determination to impose a state of emergency on Rivers State, telling the Supreme Court docket it acted to forestall additional breakdown of legislation and order and {economic} sabotage.
In its response on Saturday, Might 10, to a swimsuit filed by 11 opposition-controlled states, the federal government stated it had no different alternative after political chaos in Rivers escalated and crippled governance.
The 11 states, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara, are difficult the legality of the emergency declaration.
In a counter-affidavit sworn by Taiye Hussain Oloyede, Particular Assistant to the President and the Ministry of Justice, the FG described Rivers’ state of affairs as a “very critical political disaster” that left the state and not using a functioning authorities.
He stated, “By motive of my job as Particular Assistant to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, I do know the info and circumstances that occurred in Rivers State, which culminated within the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 18th March, 2025.”
The federal government cited the demolition of the State Home of Meeting complicated, assaults on very important oil infrastructure, threats by militants, and a whole legislative breakdown as justification.
“The governor demolished the Home of Meeting of the State thus depriving the 27 members against him from having official lodging the place they may meet to hold out their duties as a Home of Meeting,” Oloyede acknowledged.
He added, “Militants had been brazenly threatening fireplace and brimstone in opposition to these they perceived as enemies of the governor with the governor not doing something whilst little as denouncing and disowning them.”
In response to the FG, Rivers was in such disarray that “governance had run to a standstill” and “there isn’t a authorities in Rivers State.”
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Oloyede continued: “It’s a matter of widespread data that there was a really critical political disaster in Rivers State which had led to the Governor of Rivers State and the Home of Meeting not having the ability to work collectively.”
He additionally stated President Tinubu had engaged all events concerned to discover a decision, however the efforts had been rebuffed.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened… however the events caught to their particular person positions to the detriment of peace and improvement within the state,” he stated.
The federal authorities insisted the President acted strictly inside constitutional powers to revive peace and was not focusing on opposition states.
“Opposite to the depositions… the President has neither stated nor threatened that he would declare a state of emergency in any of the plaintiffs’ states however the plaintiffs have solely been pushed into panic mode by their very own imaginary fears,” the affidavit stated.
It additionally pressured the President acted based mostly on verified safety reviews and was dedicated to the rule of legislation.
“That President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a powerful adherent of the rule of legislation who has dedicated himself to exercising his powers… solely in accordance with the legislation and the structure and based mostly on verifiable info,” Oloyede declared.
In the meantime, the Nationwide Meeting, additionally named within the swimsuit, is asking the apex court docket to throw it out for missing advantage.
In a preliminary objection filed on April 22, the legislature stated the swimsuit was “frivolous and speculative,” urging the court docket to award ₦1 billion in prices in opposition to the plaintiffs.
The PDP governors are asking the court docket to find out whether or not the President can lawfully droop elected state officers or state legislatures underneath the guise of emergency rule.
They’re additionally difficult any transfer by the President to impose unelected directors on any of the 36 states of the federation.
