₦airaland Forum

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Sunday accused the Supreme Court of deliberately stalling proceedings on a critical constitutional case brought by 11 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors challenging the legality of a state of emergency declared in Rivers State.

In a press statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the prominent civil rights advocacy group alleged that the apex court’s failure to fix a hearing date nearly a month after the case was filed suggests judicial cowardice and a dangerous reluctance to confront executive overreach.

“We believe the Supreme Court of Nigeria is doing the greatest disservice to the country by refusing or unduly delaying the constitution of a panel to adjudicate on the salient constitutional questions posed in this groundbreaking suit,” Onwubiko stated.

The suit, filed by the attorneys general of Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states, seeks a declaration on whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted within the constitution when he allegedly suspended the Rivers State governor and dissolved the state legislature under the guise of emergency rule.


Citing Sections 1(2), 5(2), 176, 180, 188, and 305 of the 1999 Constitution, the plaintiffs argue that no provision empowers the president to unseat an elected governor or install an unelected administrator. They also question the legality of suspending a functioning State House of Assembly.

HURIWA alleged that the Supreme Court’s silence may be a tactical ploy to pressure the governors into seeking a political resolution rather than a judicial one — a move the group warned could set a dangerous precedent.

“The delay is not just ominous; it is toxic,” Onwubiko said. “If the Justices are jittery and refusing to fix a hearing date, then we fear there may be a deeper conspiratorial plot to destabilize constitutional democracy and achieve total state capture. We pray that we are wrong.”

The group further warned that the vacuum created by judicial inaction is fueling political blackmail, with some PDP governors allegedly being coerced into endorsing President Tinubu’s re-election or defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The Justices of the Supreme Court should be patriotic enough to entertain this matter and take a decision one way or another,” the statement continued. “This unnecessary delay has allowed the APC to exploit fear among PDP governors who are scared of losing their re-election bids.”

HURIWA expressed alarm that despite the case’s national importance, there has been no communication from the court regarding its progress or scheduling, raising concerns about transparency and impartiality.

“It is surprising that such a landmark case is being treated with such a lackadaisical, ‘we don’t give a damn’ attitude,” Onwubiko said. “Millions of Nigerians and observers around the world are watching closely to see if our judiciary can still be trusted to defend democracy.”

The respondents, including President Tinubu, have 14 days from the service of the summons to enter an appearance. However, the absence of a hearing date has intensified public scrutiny of the court’s role.

“This is no longer just a legal matter. It’s about whether Nigeria’s democracy is governed by the rule of law or the whims of a powerful few,” HURIWA warned.

The group concluded by urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria to urgently constitute a panel and fix a hearing date, asserting that “justice delayed in this matter could very well be democracy denied.”

Validated:
The Supreme Court that goes about commissioning FCT projects have no time on their calendar to look into the case. They have since lost credibility.

helinues:
Those who went to court are never serious. I mean the Pdp governors. They don't have the Locus standi to file a petition as the issue is not affecting their own state.
DBA case

Validated:
Barrister Helienus has spoken? Future impossible tense

helinues:
You guys in the opposition like to delve into issues you have little knowledge about and still argue confidently about it.

helinues:
Those who went to court are never serious. I mean the Pdp governors. They don't have the Locus standi to file a petition as the issue is not affecting their own state.

DBA case

helinues:
Those who went to court are never serious. I mean the Pdp governors. They don't have the Locus standi to file a petition as the issue is not affecting their own state.

DBA case

Streetinvestor2:
You see this your oluwale schools will finish you .The case is a constitutional matter and not jurisdiction issue .The president can declare SOE but those the constitution empower him to remove the governor is the question for the supreme court

Validated:
Barrister Helienus has spoken? Future impossible tense

mrvitalis:
Your lack of education is always so obvious

They are not attacking rivers issue they are asking for interpretation of certain part of the Constitution

Seems you just learned the phrase locus standi Lmaooo

helinues:
Learn to express yourself without always throwing tantrums. You can't be known for such repeated boring attitude . You supposed to have grown more than this on this forum, but such attitude won't just let you .

Regarding the topic, if the governors don't have locus standing regarding this case as it's not affecting their case, they have no right to file the petition to start with, so no one will listen to it

Una go mind to dey argue blindly , disgrace unaself and pretend as if nothing happened.

helinues:
Learn to express yourself without always throwing tantrums. You can't be known for such repeated boring attitude . You supposed to have grown more than this on this forum, but such attitude won't just let you .

Regarding the topic, if the governors don't have locus standing regarding this case as it's not affecting their case, they have no right to file the petition to start with, so no one will listen to it

Una go mind to dey argue blindly , disgrace unaself and pretend as if nothing happened.

mrvitalis:
The governors never sued for rivers case issue

They are asking the supreme Court to interpret the sections of the Constitution the president used because it can happen to them too... How can't you understand the difference?

peleson1:
Says nairaland permanent resident on 30k crew per month and 10naira per LIKE

helinues:
This should help

mrvitalis:
Oga the attorney General of any state have the right to approach the supreme Court directly to interpret any section of the Constitution

The governors feel the president did not interpret the Constitution well so have approach the supreme Court for interpretation

So you talking about locus standi doesn't apply here... They are not taking the president to Court for what happened in rivers state

What ever the supreme Court rules now becomes law going forward unless changed by Constitutional amendment

The supreme Court must interprete section 301 for we won't have this argument later

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Sunday accused the Supreme Court of deliberately stalling proceedings on a critical constitutional case brought by 11 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors challenging the legality of a state of emergency declared in Rivers State.

helinues:
You are contradicting/confusing your own self

helinues:
You are contradicting/confusing your own self.

If the AG of the state is an appointed position, as long as who appointed him is not in charge, he seize to act on that position for the state

mrvitalis:
The rivers AG didn't join the suit bases on supreme Court ruling as of the state of emergency in Jos... Is that you can't read or you can't comprehend?

helinues:
Those Ag of the state are not representing their own state. The issue is not affecting the state they are representing. They are representing the governors with no locus standing regarding this case.

The Rivers AG of state can't even join because he won't be recognized

mrvitalis:
Oga where in the suit are they challenging what happened in rivers state?

The suit filed by the governors have absolutely nothing to do with rivers state at all its a separate case. And they aew within their right

I don't know where you went to school bro but you need to learn how to read and understand

The suit, filed by the attorneys general of Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states, seeks a declaration on whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted within the constitution when he allegedly suspended the Rivers State governor and dissolved the state legislature under the guise of emergency rule.

helinues:
Those Ag of the state are not representing their own state. The issue is not affecting the state they are representing. They are representing the governors with no locus standing regarding this case. Or are you saying Adamawa people sent their AG to be doing this?

The Rivers AG of state can't even join because he won't be recognized

helinues:
Mrvitalis, rest abeg

helinues:
The Pdp governors that went to court, do they have Locus standi regarding this case?

helinues:
Learn to express yourself without always throwing tantrums. You can't be known for such repeated boring attitude . You supposed to have grown more than this on this forum, but such attitude won't just let you .

Regarding the topic, if the governors don't have locus standing regarding this case as it's not affecting their case, they have no right to file the petition to start with, so no one will listen to it

Una go mind to dey argue blindly , disgrace unaself and pretend as if nothing happened.

helinues:
Let me clear the hear about this getting paid with whatever amount.

You see in life, we all have principle. The lowest thing I will do in this only life I am currently living is to be paid to defend something or attack others. I can never stoop to that level.

Doing that means you won't be able to express your own personal opinions about issue as you have those you need to represent their opinions.

Those who are doing such job don't have personal moral value. So you guys should stop repeating something that I can never in my life do , not to talk about the ridiculous amount that I can't even use to drink on selfie outing with no one around.

May poverty not be our portion in life. Amen

helinues:
Let me clear the hear about this getting paid with whatever amount.

You see in life, we all have principle. The lowest thing I will do in this only life I am currently living is to be paid to defend something or attack others. I can never stoop to that level.

Doing that means you won't be able to express your own personal opinions about issue as you have those you need to represent their opinions.

Those who are doing such job don't have personal moral value. So you guys should stop repeating something that I can never in my life do , not to talk about the ridiculous amount that I can't even use to drink on selfie outing with no one around.

May poverty not be our portion in life. Amen

helinues:
Let me clear the hear about this getting paid with whatever amount.

You see in life, we all have principle. The lowest thing I will do in this only life I am currently living is to be paid to defend something or attack others. I can never stoop to that level.

Doing that means you won't be able to express your own personal opinions about issue as you have those you need to represent their opinions.

Those who are doing such job don't have personal moral value. So you guys should stop repeating something that I can never in my life do , not to talk about the ridiculous amount that I can't even use to drink on selfie outing with no one around.

May poverty not be our portion in life. Amen