Five indigenes of Rivers State have sued the Federal Government, the Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) over plans to conduct local government elections on August 30.
They said that the state government under the leadership of Ibas has fixed August 30 to conduct local government elections in the state.
The plaintiffs, Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo and Comfort Agbom, all indigenes of Rivers, dragged the defendants’ to the Federal High Court, Abuja asking the court to stop the planned council elections.
They cited the continued existence of a state of emergency in the state as a major ground for their suit.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025, filed through their counsel, Mr Sunday Ezema, the plaintiffs are seeking a judicial interpretation on whether local government elections can be lawfully conducted during a state of emergency.
According to them, the President, in the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, stated that there existed clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety.
“He also said there is a clear and present danger of the looming crises which has affected good governance, peace, security and order in Rivers.”
They argued that the emergency situation had not ceased, and that the president had not revoked or suspended the proclamation, thereby making the planned conduct of local government elections unlawful.
The plaintiffs further submitted that elections should not take place under such emergency conditions, where there was no guarantee of public order and safety.
They also contended that voters could not be expected to participate in elections amid a breakdown of governance, peace and security.
The suit, filed on August 11, also asked for an order of the court to stop the conduct of the elections on August 30 or any other date during the period of the state of emergency, which they insisted was still in force.
In the event that the elections proceed, the plaintiffs asked the court to declare the outcome null and void.
The plaintiffs recalled that the previous local government elections conducted under the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara were later nullified by the court due to irregularities.
They argued that the current case appeared to raise similar legal concerns.
The plaintiffs also prayed the court to declare that there was a clear and present danger and looking crises in Rivers which led to the state of emergency.
“A declaration that the clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety and looming crises in Rivers which led to the proclamation of a state of emergency on March 18, has not abated, and that the proclamation remains in effect until at least six months after that date.
“A declaration that the Rivers government, the sole administrator, and RSIEC cannot lawfully conduct local government council elections during the subsistence or pendency of the state of emergency.
“A declaration that any local government council elections conducted on Aug. 30 or any date within the emergency period, are illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
The case, has however, not been assigned to a judge for hearing.
