News
Rivers emergency rule: N’Assembly counters PDP govs’ lawsuit, demands N1bn
The federal legislature, in its response, contended that the plaintiffs’ suit was procedurally flawed and lacked merit.
The National Assembly said this in a preliminary objection dated April 22, 2025.
It argued that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and should award N1bn in costs against the plaintiffs for filing what it termed a “frivolous and speculative suit.”
President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Following the suspension, Tinubu appointed Rear Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during the suspension period.
The National Assembly ratified the President’s declaration through a voice vote.
The PDP governors, in suit number SC/CV/329/2025, approached the Supreme Court to challenge the President’s powers to suspend a democratically elected state institution and replace it with an unelected one.
The plaintiffs in the suit are the governors of Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa States.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Assembly are listed as the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively, in the suit.
All 11 states in the suit asked the apex court to determine six constitutional questions, including whether the President of Nigeria can lawfully suspend or interfere with the offices of a governor and deputy governor and replace them with an unelected appointee under the guise of a state of emergency proclamation.
They further requested the court to determine whether the Attorney-General’s threat, acting on behalf of the President, to suspend the offices of governors and deputy governors by virtue of such proclamations contravenes the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and principles of constitutional federalism.
The plaintiffs also questioned whether the National Assembly could approve a state of emergency proclamation, including suspension of state executives and legislatures by a simple voice vote rather than the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of all members of each chamber.
In their reliefs, the plaintiffs sought the declarations that the President cannot lawfully suspend or interfere with the offices of governors and deputy governors or replace them with unelected nominees under a state of emergency.
They argued that the President cannot lawfully suspend a State House of Assembly under such circumstances.
They further contended that the Attorney-General’s threats to suspend state officials are unconstitutional and violate the principles of federalism and that the National Assembly cannot approve such proclamations through voice votes without a two-third majority.
Additionally, they prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with state offices through state of emergency proclamations.
The plaintiffs sought an order nullifying the state of emergency proclamation in Rivers State as published in Official Gazette No. 47 of 2025.
The governors are asking for “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from suspending or approving the suspension or in any way interfering with the offices of the Governor, the Deputy Governor and /or the House of Assembly of any of the Plaintiffs States by way of a Proclamation of State of Emergency or in any manner whatsoever or by any method howsoever.
“An order setting aside and nullifying the Official Gazette No.47 of 2025, State of Emergency (Rivers State) Proclamation, 2025 made by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wrongfully approved by the 2nd Defendant and upon which the ominous threat by the 1st defendant against the Plaintiffs is predicated.”
However, the National Assembly, in its preliminary objection, faulted the plaintiffs’ suit and urged the Supreme Court to dismiss it, arguing that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the case, particularly against the second defendant, (NASS).
Declaring that it holds a memorandum of conditional appearance, the National Assembly argued that due process was not followed in instituting the suit, emphasising that the plaintiffs failed to issue the statutorily required three-month pre-action notice to the Clerk of the National Assembly, as mandated under Section 21 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017.
It stated that “A person who has a cause of action against a Legislative House shall serve a three-month’s notice to the office of the Clerk of the Legislative House disclosing the cause of action and reliefs sought.”
Additionally, NASS argued that the plaintiffs did not secure resolutions from their respective State Houses of Assembly, a prerequisite for approaching the Supreme Court under its original jurisdiction provisions outlined in the Supreme Court (Original Jurisdiction) Act, 2002.
Citing alleged threats referenced in the plaintiffs’ suit, which borders on a statement attributed to the Attorney-General during a press briefing, NASS noted that since the threat did not emanate from them or its officers, the suit has no business with them.
The objection read, “Considering the affidavit in support and the threats alleged, which did not come from the 2nd Defendant, there is no cause of action against it.
The N’Assembly further contended, “With the objection amongst others submitted, due process of instituting the action in the suit was not followed by the plaintiffs before taking this steps against the 2nd Defendants as the plaintiffs failed to issue the requisite three months pre-action notice to the Clerk of the National Assembly and took no steps to obtain the resolutions of the Houses of Assembly of each of the States to enable the plaintiffs each join to approach this busy Court pursuant to the provision of the Supreme Court (Original Jurisdiction) Act 2002 on the matters.”
NASS asserted that the plaintiffs were attempting to use the Supreme Court to dictate how it exercises its constitutional role, particularly regarding the use of voice votes to ratify states of emergency under section 305 of the 1999 Constitution.
The objection described the suit as speculative and an abuse of the court process.
“In the suit, the Plaintiffs seek to use the court to curtail the manner in which the 2nd defendant votes or make approval to ratify proclamations of State of Emergency declared pursuant to section 305 of the CFRN 1999, to get the 2/3 majority of their votes.
“It also seeks that the Court dictates how much roles are to be performed by the 2nd Defendant. The suit seeks to restrain the 2nd defendant from using voice votes to get majority approval for future or anticipated Proclamations of States of Emergency in the States of the Plaintiff.
“The suit also seeks by perpetual injunction, to restrain the second defendant’s Houses (Senate /House of Assembly) from carrying out their constitutional duties of approval of Proclamations of State of Emergency and seeks that the approval given by the 2nd Defendant on the 20th day of March, 2025, ratifying the proclamation of State of Emergency in Rivers State be set aside for being wrongfully approved.”
NASS further added, “The 2nd Defendant/Applicant having observed the several deficiencies in the suit of the Plaintiffs which go contrary to the provisions of the laws and the jurisdiction of the Court raises objection and submits that the 11 States (Plaintiffs) approached the Court wrongly and in abuse of court process.”
It predicated its objection on six grounds, stating that the plaintiffs’ suit lacks a cause of action.
The National Assembly further stated that the plaintiffs lack locus standi to proceed against the second defendant on the issues raised in the suit.
It also argued that the plaintiffs failed to comply with due process as stipulated under section 2, Schedule 2 of the Supreme Court (Additional Original Jurisdiction) Act, 2002.
The 2nd defendant noted that the “court lacks jurisdiction.”
In an affidavit supporting the notice of preliminary objection deposed by Godswill Onyegbu, a legal officer in the Directorate of Legal Services, National Assembly, he argued that due process was not followed in instituting the suit.
Onyegbu maintained that no dispute exists between the plaintiffs and either the Government of Nigeria or the second defendant, (NASS).
He further deposed that, “The plaintiffs did not obtain the required resolutions from the Houses of Assembly in their respective states to authorise the suit under the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction.
“There is no cause of action against the second defendant, as no threat emanated from the second defendant’s office.
“That the plaintiffs lack the locus standi to institute this suit as none of the plaintiffs has shown that it has suffered anything far and above any other persons or people of Rivers State.
“There are no disputes involving questions of law or fact upon which the existence or extent of a legal right depends between the parties.
“The plaintiffs have not established any legal rights against the second defendant to warrant equitable relief such as a perpetual injunction.”
He noted that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter against the second defendant as constituted.
In addition to requesting the dismissal of the suit, Onyegbu called for a cost of N1b to be awarded jointly and severally against the plaintiffs in the interest of justice.
“That the Plaintiffs’ States’ Houses of Assembly did not pass any resolution by a simple majority of the members present and sitting at the time of the resolution authorising the plaintiffs to institute this action.
“That the plaintiffs have not established any legal rights against the 2nd defendant to enjoy the equitable remedy of perpetual injunction.
“That the suit of the plaintiffs is speculative, unfounded, frivolous and a vexatious waste of resources, time and energy of the 2nd defendant.
“That the present court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain this matter as presently constituted against the 2nd defendants.
“That it is in the best interest of justice for the Court to dismiss or strike out this suit against the 2nd defendant with a cost of N1b only, jointly and severally against the plaintiffs,” the affidavit read.
News
National Assembly Receives Proposals for New LGAs as Lagos Seeks 37, Akwa Ibom Missing from Lis
The National Assembly has reportedly received proposals for the creation of additional local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria, with Lagos State seeking 37 new councils, while Akwa Ibom State is conspicuously missing from a published list of submissions.
The proposals, according to a report by The Insight Lens Project, cover various communities across the country’s six geopolitical zones and reflect demands for administrative restructuring, improved grassroots representation and better access to government services.
However, the complete list of submissions has not been independently verified, and the proposals do not constitute approval for the creation of new local government areas.
In the North-East, the reported requests include Bidoma and Michika South in Adamawa State, Boi-Tapshin in Bauchi, Banki in Borno, Cham in Gombe, Gudi in Yobe and Wukari in Taraba State.
In the North-West, the proposed areas reportedly include locations in Jigawa, Piriga in Kaduna, Dankama in Katsina, as well as Moriki and other communities in Zamfara State.
The North-Central zone also features in the reported submissions, with proposals covering Agasha and other communities in Benue State, alongside several areas in Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states.
In the South-East, the list includes Abiriba in Abia State, proposed councils around Obosi in Anambra State, several communities in Ebonyi State and numerous proposed local government areas in Imo State.
The South-West proposals reportedly include Eso-Obe and Gbonyin in Ekiti State, Ogijo and other areas in Ogun State, as well as additional proposed councils in Osun and Oyo states.
Lagos State stands out with a reported request for 37 new local government areas, although the published report did not provide the names and proposed boundaries of all the councils.
In the South-South, the reported proposals include Akassa and other communities in Bayelsa State, Ughievwen in Delta State, several areas in Edo State, and Ataba, Evo and Alesa in Rivers State.
Cross River State is also listed, with proposed councils around Mbube and Calabar. Akwa Ibom State, however, has no clearly identified entry in the published list, raising questions about whether the state submitted proposals or was omitted from the report.
Constitutional Requirements
The creation of new local government areas is governed by Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which prescribes a series of procedures involving consultations, a referendum, legislative approval and the submission of relevant records to the National Assembly.
The constitutional process must be completed before newly created councils can be recognised and reflected in the relevant constitutional schedules.
Consequently, proposals submitted by states or communities do not automatically translate into legally recognised local government areas.
The reported development comes amid broader constitutional review efforts by the National Assembly. In October 2025, the legislature reported receiving 278 requests for additional local government areas and 55 proposals for the creation of new states.
Nevertheless, the specific state-by-state submissions contained in the latest published list, including Lagos State’s reported demand for 37 additional councils and the absence of Akwa Ibom, remain subject to confirmation through official National Assembly records.
The proposals, if confirmed, could reopen discussions on administrative boundaries, grassroots governance and the constitutional procedures required for the creation of additional local government areas in Nigeria.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Mayor of Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ezennia Emelie Ibekwe, has issued a stern warning to traders and residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of drainage channels, threatening sanctions against those who fail to comply with sanitation directives.
Ibekwe, who handed down the warning during an inspection of Ajasa Market, expressed displeasure over the deteriorating environmental conditions in parts of the commercial city, describing the situation as unacceptable and detrimental to healthy living and business activities.
During the inspection, the Mayor observed that refuse and other waste materials generated from market activities were being dumped into drainage channels, obstructing the free flow of water and exposing traders, residents and their properties to flooding.
“This practice contributes to flooding whenever it rains, putting traders, residents and their properties at risk.
“An environment of this nature is not conducive to business and healthy living. It does not speak well of a commercial city that houses one of the largest markets in sub-Saharan Africa,” he stated.
Consequently, Ibekwe directed traders and other persons responsible for the blocked drainage channels to ensure their immediate clearance, giving them until the following day to comply.
He further announced that he would return to the market for another inspection to ascertain the level of compliance with the directive.
“People should be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Government alone cannot handle this effectively without the active participation of residents and traders.
“I am going to come back here to see what you have done,” he warned.
The Mayor stressed that the sanitation directive was not restricted to Ajasa Market but extended to all markets within Onitsha North Local Government Area.
He consequently charged market leaders to take responsibility for enforcing environmental sanitation regulations within their respective markets, warning that the council would no longer tolerate practices capable of worsening flooding and environmental degradation.
“It is not only Ajasa Market but all the markets in Onitsha North Local Government Area. Market leaders should ensure that this directive is not compromised,” Ibekwe declared.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has commissioned a community market in Afi, Ikom II State Constituency, as part of his commitment to sustainable development and improved living conditions in rural communities.
The project, facilitated and completed by the Speaker, was identified as one of the priority needs of the community following consultations by the Constituency Needs Assessment Team established by Ayambem to evaluate infrastructure and identify projects that would directly benefit the people.
The team was mandated to identify critical infrastructure capable of improving the livelihoods of residents and promoting sustainable economic growth across the constituency.
According to community members, the absence of a suitable trading environment had been a major challenge for years, forcing traders to conduct business under harsh weather conditions, including rain and intense sunshine.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the village head, Chief Etta Ekawor, commended Ayambem for the intervention, describing the market as a miracle and a blessing that would transform the fortunes of the people.
In his remarks, Ayambem expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, for his continued support for people-oriented projects and development initiatives across rural communities in the state.
He also thanked the people for their patience, support for his leadership and commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker was accompanied by the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Brian Odey; the Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Maurice Ndome; and the Assistant Financial Secretary of the APC in Cross River State, Hon. Akanya Agbor.
Other stakeholders from Nde Ward who attended the commissioning included the former Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Asinya Ntan, and the Community Relations Officer, Hon. Abang Neji.
Matthew Okache
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker
October 22, 2026
News
Holy Ghost Transformation: How Enugu North Chairman Ibenaku Onoh Ended Years of Traffic Chaos, Roadside Trading
Driving through Holy Ghost and Chris Chemist Roundabout in Enugu metropolis was, until recently, a nightmare many motorists dreaded. Those who dared to navigate the busy commercial corridor often had unpleasant tales to tell.
Beyond the chaotic traffic situation, the area was notorious for rowdy and unorganised roadside trading, indiscriminate parking, commercial buses competing for passengers and the activities of illegal levy collectors who allegedly extorted motorists under various guises, including car radio licences and local government levies.
It was a situation that appeared to have defied successive interventions, leaving residents and motorists wondering whether sanity could ever return to one of Enugu’s busiest commercial districts.
Onoh, Executive Chairman Enugu North
Today, however, the Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Hon. Ibenaku Onoh, appears to have achieved what many considered almost impossible.
Through a combination of political will, infrastructural adjustments and sustained enforcement, the once-chaotic Holy Ghost corridor has witnessed a remarkable transformation, with improved traffic flow and a significant reduction in the disorder that previously characterised the area.
Onoh explained that his decision to tackle the perennial congestion was inspired by the massive road rehabilitation, urban renewal and aesthetic improvements being undertaken across Enugu metropolis by Governor Peter Mbah.
According to him, having witnessed the governor’s determination to give Enugu a modern outlook through infrastructural development and beautification, he considered it necessary for the local government to key into the vision by sanitising Holy Ghost and its adjoining commercial areas.
He noted that it would amount to a contradiction for the state government to invest heavily in road rehabilitation and urban renewal while one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors remained overwhelmed by traffic congestion, illegal trading and environmental disorder.
Consequently, Onoh identified the Holy Ghost traffic situation as one of his administration’s immediate priorities upon assuming office.
He disclosed that he visited the area four times within his first week in office to personally assess the challenges before approaching Governor Mbah with a proposal to remove the Chris Chemist Roundabout.
“When I came on board, I paid attention to that area. In my first week of working here, I went there like four times. And I knew that was the problem. So I told the governor that the Chris Chemist Roundabout was a problem and that it had to go. The governor told me, go ahead and do whatever you want,” he recalled.
Armed with the governor’s approval, the council commenced the removal of the roundabout, expanded and asphalted portions of the road, and redesigned the median separating traffic moving into and out of Holy Ghost.
The chairman explained that the median had virtually become a market, with traders occupying every available space and contributing to the perennial congestion.
Rather than merely displacing the traders, his administration reconstructed the median in a manner that made it uncomfortable and unsuitable for roadside trading, thereby discouraging their return.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the new Holy Ghost transport terminal constructed by the Mbah administration, noting that commercial buses which previously clustered along the roads had been moved into the facility.
“The terminal has also helped. We thank the governor for that terminal. Some of these buses that used to cluster the road, we have now pushed them into the terminal,” he stated.
But beyond the physical transformation, Onoh identified sustained enforcement as the greatest challenge in restoring sanity to the area.
He explained that roadside traders and other operators frequently attempted to return to prohibited locations despite repeated efforts to remove them.
According to him, the situation required not only determination but also the establishment of a legal framework to deal with persistent offenders.
Consequently, the council approached the Chief Judge and subsequently enacted a by-law establishing a mobile court for the local government.
Onoh said the court provided a legal mechanism for prosecuting offenders, ensuring that resistance to enforcement would no longer end in mere confrontations with council officials.
He further alleged that some individuals had attempted to compromise enforcement efforts by offering monthly financial inducements, insisting that his administration would not sacrifice its objectives for personal gains.
“For me, I know exactly what I want, and once I see what I don’t want, I know I don’t want it. I think it is also that discipline, strength and consistency that have made us sustain it for as long as we have,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that enforcement remained a daily exercise, recalling how he recently directed his Chief Security Officer to remove wheelbarrows that had resurfaced around the council premises.
He maintained that without consistency, the gains recorded in Holy Ghost could easily be reversed by individuals determined to reclaim public spaces for unauthorised commercial activities.
Meanwhile, the council has shifted attention to another major environmental challenge in the area: indiscriminate waste disposal.
Onoh disclosed that his administration recently took delivery of about 35 large waste bins procured from Lagos, which would be deployed across the commercial district.
He explained that additional metal fabrication was being carried out to make the bins compatible with evacuation trucks operated by the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA).
According to him, the initiative would provide traders, residents and commuters with designated refuse disposal points before the council intensifies prosecution of environmental offenders.
“People just come and dump their waste on the road. What I have said is to give them an option. I will give you an option of where you are supposed to put waste. But when you don’t do it, by the time we take you to mobile court and have you arraigned there, you will know that you had an option,” he explained.
For motorists familiar with the old Holy Ghost, the difference is striking. What was once regarded as an unavoidable traffic nightmare is gradually becoming an example of how local government leadership can complement the urban renewal agenda of the state government.
For Onoh, however, the achievement is not merely about removing a roundabout or displacing roadside traders. It is about ensuring that the massive investments being made by Governor Mbah in transforming the Enugu capital are complemented by discipline, environmental responsibility and orderliness at the grassroots.
The challenge now is to sustain the transformation and ensure that the disorder which once defined the Holy Ghost and Chris Chemist corridor does not return.
By Chinedu Sabastine
The Enugu State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the establishment of state police, saying decentralising the country’s policing architecture would improve security and strengthen the protection of lives and property.
The lawmakers expressed their positions on Tuesday, November 20 during plenary while considering a proposed constitutional amendment to provide for the establishment of State Police Service and related matters.
Supporting the proposal, the member representing Ezeagu Constituency, Hon. Chima Obieze, said the establishment of state police would make policing more effective by bringing security operations closer to the people.
According to him, “The establishment of State Police will decentralise the policing architecture of the country and make it more effective in the protection of lives and property across the state.”
Similarly, the member representing Nkanu East Constituency, Hon. Okey Mbah, said state police could help tackle recurring security challenges, including violence and attacks attributed to herders in different parts of the state.
Mbah maintained that a decentralised policing system would enable authorities to respond more effectively to security threats within their respective communities.
He said the establishment of state police would help “curtail incessant violence and herdsmen attacks in different parts of the state.”
However, the member representing Igbo-Eze South Constituency, Hon. Harrison Ogara, cautioned that the proposed state police system could be abused by political officeholders if adequate safeguards were not established.
Ogara expressed concern that state police formations might be used to intimidate political opponents, stressing that effective oversight and accountability mechanisms were necessary to protect the institution from political interference.
He said, “State Police formations could be used to intimidate political opponents if adequate safeguards are not put in place.”
The lawmaker also called for professional standards, transparent accountability structures and sustainable funding arrangements to ensure that state police personnel discharge their duties without undue political influence.
According to him, effective oversight would be essential to ensuring that the proposed security structure serves the public interest rather than the interests of those in power.
The Speaker of the House, Chief Uche Ugwu, said the proposed changes to the naming of Nigeria’s policing institutions could also influence institutional orientation and the attitudes of personnel.
The proposal includes changing the name of the Nigeria Police Force to the Federal Police Service, alongside the establishment of the State Police Service.
Ugwu said the changes could contribute to a shift in institutional orientation and personnel attitudes, potentially improving the delivery of policing services.
The proposed constitutional amendment comes amid growing calls for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s security architecture to enable states to respond more effectively to local security challenges.
Proponents argue that state police would improve intelligence gathering and response times, while critics have raised concerns about possible political abuse, inadequate funding and the need for strong accountability mechanisms.
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