Rivers Crisis: IYC Drags Tinubu’s Government to ECOWAS Court

• IYC Sues FG at ECOWAS Court: The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government, seeking to overturn the suspension of elected officials and the appointment of a sole administrator in Rivers State.
• Kwankwaso Criticizes National Assembly: NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, condemned the National Assembly for approving the state of emergency, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.
• Calls for Reversal Grow: Former Edo State official Kelvin Uwaibi urged President Tinubu to reverse the emergency rule, emphasizing the need for peace, unity, and respect for democratic processes.

The Federal Government has been taken to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court in Abuja over the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

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The lawsuit was filed by Harry Ibiso and 11 others on behalf of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eastern Zone. In their application, dated March 20 and marked ECW/CCJ/APP/18/25, they are asking the court to cancel the suspension of elected officials and the removal of democratic institutions in Rivers State.

They are also requesting the court to nullify all decisions and actions taken by the sole administrator appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18.

The applicants argue that President Tinubu does not have the power to remove or suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, or members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as all were elected into office.

They claim that the removal of these officials violates the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State and undermines democracy in Nigeria.

In a statement from Yenagoa, IYC spokesman Binebia Princewill described the emergency declaration as a dark moment for Nigeria’s democracy. He criticized the National Assembly for approving the president’s action, saying it weakens the democratic system.

“The National Assembly’s approval has damaged the principles of democracy, leaving it weak and unstable,” Princewill said.

Similarly, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, criticized the National Assembly’s approval of the emergency rule. In a statement on his official X handle (@KwankwasoRM), he called the legislative endorsement “disappointing” and accused the 10th Assembly of becoming a “rubber stamp” for the executive branch.

Kwankwaso argued that the Constitution outlines proper voting procedures for decisions of such importance and criticized the use of a voice vote to approve the emergency rule.

He also warned that allowing the military to take leadership roles in states sets a dangerous precedent and could harm Nigeria’s democratic progress.

Kwankwaso urged the judiciary to defend the rule of law and ensure justice is served.

Meanwhile, a former Managing Director of the Edo State Investment Promotion Office, Kelvin Uwaibi, has called on President Tinubu to reverse the emergency declaration. He appealed to the president to allow Governor Fubara and other elected officials to continue their duties, emphasizing that cooperation between the federal and state governments would promote peace and unity.

 

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“I trust that your leadership is based on fairness, justice, and the rule of law. I appeal to you to reconsider this decision in the interest of stability and democracy,” Uwaibi said.

 

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