Nigerian legislative lawyers, under the aegis of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, have asked the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Court, to impose sanctions on President Bola Tinubu over the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State.
The lawyers are also seeking imposition of sanctions on the leadership of the National Assembly over their role in the ratification of the emergency rule in the oil rich state.
It had been reported that Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast on 18 March 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Justifying the decision, the President said he was “greatly disturbed about the political crisis” in the state and accused Governor Sim Fubara of demolishing the State House of Assembly building.
Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, were suspended for an initial period of six months. A retired Vice Admiral, Ibas, was appointed as Sole Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state during the emergency period.
About a month after taking the decision, Tinubu is still under fire from several quarters, with many Nigerians questioning the legality and propriety of the decision.
Earlier, It had been reported that ALDRAP, in a letter dated 17th April 2025, had given Tinubu seven days to disclose provisions of the state of emergency proclamation in Rivers State which empowered the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), to appoint sole administrators for local government areas.
The lawyers threatened to take legal action against the President it he failed to heed the demand.
The lawyers, who are demanding the reversal of the emergency rule declaration, are now asking the ECOWAS court to impose sanctions on Tinubu and other relevant Nigerian officials over the suspension of democratic governance in Rivers.
