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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Former Member of the House of Representatives and 2023 Rivers State governorship aspirant, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has faulted the emergency rule earlier imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as detrimental to the state and its people.
Dr. Dagogo made the remarks on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, during the resumed hearing of Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, in which he is challenging the President’s constitutional authority to suspend democratically elected government officials.
Originally filed at the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, the matter was later transferred to Abuja following a directive from the Attorney General of the Federation to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
During proceedings, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, counsel to the first respondent (President Tinubu), urged the court to rely on its previous rulings in similar matters that were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
However, Barr. Babafemi Adegbite, counsel to Dr. Dagogo, requested to make an oral argument, emphasizing that the plaintiff seeks to demonstrate why the present case is distinguishable and why the court has jurisdiction to hear it.
In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho directed the plaintiff to file a written address to substantiate its argument on jurisdiction and adjourned the matter to Friday, October 10, 2025, for further deliberation.
Speaking with journalists after the hearing, Dr. Dagogo, through his counsel, maintained that the constitutional question remains unresolved despite the lifting of the emergency rule.
“We know and still believe that the President did not have the power to do what he did,” Dr. Dagogo said. “Proceeding with this suit even after the suspension has been lifted is not an academic exercise. We seek judicial clarification for the sake of posterity and are prepared to go as far as the Supreme Court, God willing.”
He stressed that the court must make a definitive pronouncement to prevent what he described as a dangerous precedent that could embolden future administrations to suspend elected officials at will for political reasons.
Dr. Dagogo also lamented the negative impact of the six-month emergency rule on Rivers State, noting that governance and development were effectively paralyzed despite substantial federal allocations.
“For the six months that the emergency rule lasted, Rivers State and its people were the casualties. Governance was stalled, development stagnated, and the state suffered despite the enormous resources available,” he said.
Tuesday’s session marked the first full appearance of all parties since the case commenced. The defendants include President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), who served as the Rivers State Administrator during the emergency rule period.