The Supreme Court has upheld the President’s constitutional authority to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country to prevent a breakdown of law and order. In a unanimous ruling, the apex court also affirmed the President’s power to suspend elected officials for a limited period while emergency rule is in effect.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Adamawa State alongside 10 other states governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which challenged the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March.
The court held that the President acted within the ambit of the Constitution in taking the extraordinary measures, stressing that such powers were intended to safeguard public order, security, and the stability of democratic governance.
In response to the crisis in Rivers State, President Tinubu had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the State House of Assembly for six months to restore order and prevent a total collapse of governance in the state.
