A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt issued a court order on April 8, 2025, granting the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, HRM Precious Elekima, and Hon. Inanna Wright Harry permission to serve legal documents in a lawsuit challenging the state of emergency in Rivers State.
The defendants include the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly, the Attorney General, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (the Sole Administrator of Rivers State), the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The lawsuit, filed under Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/52/2025 contests the legality of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State. The court, presided over by Hon. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, ordered the plaintiffs to serve the originating summons and other court documents through specific channels: the 1st and 5th respondents (the President and the Attorney General) via the Federal Ministry of Justice in Port Harcourt; the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respondents (the Senate President, Speaker of the House, and National Assembly) by posting through DHL Courier Services to their addresses at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja; the 6th respondent (Vice Admiral Ibas) via DHL to the Government House in Rivers State; the 7th respondent (Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission) via DHL to its address in Abuja; and the 8th respondent (Central Bank of Nigeria) through its branch office in Port Harcourt. The case is adjourned until May 7, 2025, for a hearing.
This legal challenge follows another lawsuit reported on April 1, 2025, by THEWILL, under Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, where the same plaintiffs questioned the declaration of the state of emergency. The earlier suit also named President Bola Tinubu and Vice Admiral Ibas among the defendants, highlighting ongoing tensions over the emergency rule.
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Adding to the Sole Administrator’s challenges, sources indicate that Vice Admiral Ibas has been summoned to Abuja for an urgent meeting to address allegations of disobeying court summons. Posts on X noted that Ibas arrived in Abuja on April 10, 2025, to explain his actions, though these claims remain unverified. This development comes amid growing scrutiny of Ibas’s administration, with critics pointing to a pattern of legal and administrative disputes.
HRM Precious Elekima, one of the plaintiffs, has been a vocal figure in Rivers State. On Jan. 24, 2025, various Media houses reported Elekima as the Paramount Ruler of Bukuma, accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited of disobeying a court order regarding a cluster establishment and alleging exploitation of the Bukuma community. However, on Jan. 28, 2025, The Tide News Online reported that the Council of Chiefs in Bukuma denied Elekima’s claim to the title of Paramount Ruler, labeling it “gross misinformation.”
The mounting legal battles underscore the contentious governance in Rivers State, with the state of emergency remaining a flashpoint for legal and political disputes. Neither the Sole Administrator’s office nor the Federal Ministry of Justice has issued an official statement on the latest developments. The outcome of the May 7 hearing could have significant implications for the region’s governance and the broader debate over emergency powers in Nigeria.
