Six leaders from Rivers State have filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu in the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of allegedly pressuring Governor Siminilaya Fubara into entering an unconstitutional agreement. The plaintiffs, including Victor Jumbo, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Senators Bennett Birabi and Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O. P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs, and Emmanuel Deinma, argue that the agreement signed on December 18 is not only illegal but also constitutes an encroachment, nullification, and subversion of the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They are seeking the court’s determination on whether President Tinubu, Governor Fubara, and the Rivers State Assembly have the right and entitlement to engage in any agreement that undermines the constitution and the provisions of Section 109(I)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The plaintiffs contend that neither President Tinubu nor Governor Fubara possesses the statutory authority to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting fresh elections to replace the 27 Rivers State lawmakers. The dispute between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, resulted in a division within the state house of assembly, with 27 members defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The Edison Ehie group declared the seats of the 27 members vacant.
Following a meeting on Monday between President Tinubu, Governor Fubara, and Wike at the Aso Villa in Abuja, the President instructed the withdrawal of all court cases initiated by Fubara and his team and recognized the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly instead of Edison Ehie.
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