The Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutional powers of the President to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country to avert a breakdown of law and order.
In a unanimous decision, the apex court also upheld the President’s authority to suspend elected officials for a specified period during the operation of emergency rule.
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 are intended to safeguard public order, security and the stability of democratic governance.
President Tinubu had, in the wake of the Rivers crisis, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly for six months to restore order and prevent a complete collapse of governance in the state.