The legal case, labeled FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025, wants the court to decide if local elections can legally happen while a state of emergency is in place.
Referring to the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, those who brought the case reminded everyone that the president said there was a “clear and present danger” of public order, peace, and safety collapsing soon in the state.
They said that the announcement, made on March 18, has not been canceled or put on hold, and the problem that caused it still exists. So, they argue that trying to have elections while things are like this would break the law.
They also argued that having elections during a state of emergency—when public order and safety are not assured—would hurt the honesty of the process and stop voters who might not want to or cannot take part because things are unstable.
Those who brought the case want the court to declare that the state of emergency is still in effect for at least six months after it was announced and that the Rivers government, the sole administrator, or RSIEC cannot legally hold local elections during this time.
They are also asking the court to announce that any election held on Aug. 30, or any other day while the emergency is in place, is “illegal, unconstitutional, and completely invalid.”
If the elections do happen, they want the results canceled.
Those who brought the case compared it to the last local government elections under former Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which the court canceled because of problems. They said the current case has similar legal issues, made worse by the emergency situation.
One of the things they want is a declaration that the clear and present danger that led to announcing a state of emergency on March 18 is still happening for at least six months after that date.
They also asked the court for a declaration that the Rivers government, the sole administrator, and RSIEC cannot legally hold local elections during the emergency and that any election held during this time is not valid.
The case, started on Aug. 11, has not yet been given to a judge to hear. (NAN)
