Abuja: Five indigenes of Rivers State have taken legal action against the Federal Government, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to halt the planned local government elections set for August 30. The plaintiffs, Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo, and Comfort Agbom, filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to prevent the elections due to the ongoing state of emergency in the region.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the plaintiffs argue that the local government elections cannot be conducted lawfully during an active state of emergency. They referenced the State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025, which highlights a significant threat to public order and safety, as a basis for their lawsuit. The plaintiffs assert that the emergency conditions remain unresolved, and the proclamation has neither been revoked nor suspended by the President, thus rendering any election plans unlawful.
The legal action, registered as FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025 and filed by their counsel, Mr. Sunday Ezema, emphasizes the lack of public order and safety, which makes conducting elections inappropriate. The plaintiffs highlighted that the emergency conditions make it unsafe for voters to participate and noted that elections under such circumstances would undermine the principles of governance, peace, and security.
Additionally, the plaintiffs recalled that previous local government elections under Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration were nullified due to irregularities, suggesting that the current situation presents similar legal issues. They have requested the court to prevent the elections on August 30 or any date during the state of emergency, and if the elections proceed, to declare the results null and void.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs seek a court declaration affirming that the state of emergency, declared on March 18, remains in effect and that any election conducted during this period would be deemed illegal and unconstitutional. The case has yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing.