The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), alongside 12 applicants, has dragged the Federal Government of Nigeria before the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
The suit, filed on March 20, challenges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of elected officials and dissolution of democratic institutions in the state. The applicants argue that the move violates their fundamental rights and undermines democracy.
“The defendant has unlawfully taken away the democratic rights of the applicants and the people of Rivers State both individually and collectively,” the suit states.
IYC spokesperson Binebia Princewill condemned the move, calling it “the darkest era in Nigeria’s democracy,” while former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso criticized the National Assembly for endorsing what he termed an unconstitutional act.
Former Edo State official Kelvin Uwaibi has urged the president to reverse the decision, warning that it could destabilize the Niger Delta region.
The case is now before the ECOWAS Court as tensions continue to rise over the Federal Government’s intervention in Rivers State.
