The Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutional authority of the President to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
In a unanimous judgment, the apex court also upheld the President’s power to suspend elected officials for a specified period during the subsistence of emergency rule.
The ruling arose from a suit filed by Adamawa State alongside 10 other states governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March.
In its decision, the court held that the President acted within the ambit of the Constitution, noting that the extraordinary powers were designed to safeguard public order, national security, and the stability of democratic governance when normal constitutional processes are threatened.
President Tinubu had declared emergency rule in Rivers State following a protracted political and governance crisis. As part of the measures, he suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, and members of the State House of Assembly for six months, citing the need to restore order and prevent a complete collapse of governance in the state.
The Supreme Court’s judgment effectively validates the actions taken by the President under the emergency proclamation.
