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The Digest:

The Supreme Court has ruled in a 6–1 split decision that the President possesses the constitutional authority to suspend elected state officials during a declared state of emergency, provided such suspension is limited in duration.

Key Points:
  • The case was brought by 11 PDP-led states challenging President Tinubu’s emergency declaration in Rivers State.
  • The court struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction but proceeded to rule on its merits, dismissing it.
  • Justice Mohammed Idris held that Section 305 grants the President discretion over emergency measures.
  • The suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other officials for six months was deemed permissible.
  • Justice Obande Ogbuinya dissented, arguing that emergency powers cannot be used to suspend elected officials.
  • The ruling clarifies the scope of presidential intervention during crises but leaves the duration open to interpretation.
  • The decision reinforces federal authority amid ongoing political and security tensions in several states.
The judgment places constitutional weight behind a powerful tool of crisis governance, rooting presidential authority in the storm of national instability, while inviting future debate over its limits and democratic safeguards.

Sources: Supreme Court ruling, Channels Television