Ex-deputy speaker sues Tinubu, others over Rivers’ emergency rule, seeks halt to allocations

A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly,  Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has instituted legal action against President Bola Tinubu and key figures in the National Assembly, challenging the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s Sole Administrator.

In a suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Stanley-Uwom is urging the court to restrain the federal government from releasing funds due to Rivers State’s Local Government Councils (LGCs) under the administration of the Sole Administrator.

Citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and a prior Supreme Court ruling, the plaintiff is also asking the court to rule that Ibas lacks the legal authority to appoint unelected caretaker committees to oversee local governance in the state.

President Tinubu is named as the 1st defendant in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/797/2025. Others listed as defendants include the leadership of the National Assembly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

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Among several reliefs, Stanley-Uwom is seeking “an order that the State of Emergency in Rivers State issued and or proclaimed by the President has ceased to have effect.” He also wants “an order compelling the 7th Defendant (Ibas) to immediately vacate the office of Sole Administrator of Rivers State and allow the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State to resume his office.”

In the originating summons filed on April 24 through his legal team led by Mr. Sylvester I. Evbuomwan, the plaintiff asks the court to determine: “Whether by virtue of Section 305 (6) (b) of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) the Proclamation issued by the President has ceased to have effect in the absence of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the Proclamation.”

He further requests the court to determine: “Whether by virtue of Section 197 and 198 of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) the 7th Defendant can legally remove from office the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) who were appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and appoint a new Chairman and members for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).”

In a 16-paragraph affidavit he personally deposed to, Stanley-Uwom alleges that the emergency rule was imposed in violation of constitutional procedures and that Governor Siminalayi Fubara—elected in 2023—was unlawfully suspended.

He claimed that on March 20, the National Assembly allegedly approved the emergency proclamation “without proper votes establishing and or showing that two-thirds majority votes were secured.” He further argued that resolutions were passed via voice vote, rather than through proper vote counts as mandated by law.

He added, “That on March 19, 2025 the 1st Defendant swore in the 7th Defendant as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. That the 7th Defendant thereafter immediately took over the affairs of the administration of Rivers State by moving into the government house of Rivers State.”

Stanley-Uwom continued: “That upon taking over the affairs of the government of Rivers State, the 7th Defendant sacked all the officers in charge of the affairs of the Local Government of Rivers State and appointed a new set of Local Government Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the LGA’s in Rivers State.”

He also claimed that the RSIEC leadership was replaced without due process, and that federal agencies had been disbursing funds to the newly appointed caretaker committees. “That the 8th, 9th and 10th Defendant have been releasing allocations accruable to the LGAs of Rivers State to the appointed caretaker committees appointed by the 7th Defendant and also releasing to the 7th Defendant all allocations accrued to Rivers’ state,” he stated.

Stanley-Uwom also noted, “That the 7th Defendant is utilizing the fund of Rivers state without parliament appropriations,” stressing that “it shall be in the interest of justice to grant all the reliefs in the originating Summons.”
As of press time, no date has been set for the hearing of the case.