Anti-Emergency Rule Case: Court Schedules Judgment for November 14

The Initiative for Freedom, Conflict Prevention and Social Integration, or FREECON, is a civil society organization that filed a lawsuit contesting the validity of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has set November 14, 2025, as the date for its decision.

Other defendants in the lawsuit include the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which was later added to the case, the Attorney General of the Federation, the previous Rivers State Sole Administrator, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), and its Chairman.

In selecting the Chairman and members of RSIEC, members of FREECON are requesting that the court decide whether the President may, under any circumstances, create or appoint a Sole Administrator or any other authority to assume or exercise the powers of the Governor by reading and interpreting Sections 197 and 198 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The group also argues that the appointment of Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator—an office they contend is not recognized by the Constitution—does not grant him the statutory authority to choose the RSIEC Chairman and members to conduct or organize elections throughout Rivers State’s 23 Local Government Areas. This is because of the combined effect of the pertinent sections of the Constitution.

After the parties’ attorneys debated and approved their final written arguments, the presiding judge, Justice Turaki Mohammed, set the date for the ruling on Monday.