From Tony John, Port Harcourt
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has fixed May 12, 2025, for substantive hearing in a suit filed by a former National and State Assembly member, Farah Dagogo, against the suspension of both Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State Assembly Members.
The court granted an order for substituted services and fixed May 12, 2025 for hearing, to forestall difficulties in serving the defendants personally.
In the case with Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/50/2025, and before Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, the plaintiff, Farah Dagogo, who was a former governorship aspirant in the 2023 elections, had on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, approached the court seeking reliefs connected to actions bordering on the declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State and consequent suspension of the State governor and members of the State House of Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate of the Federal Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), the recently installed Sole Administrator for Rivers State.
In the motion ex parte filed on April 8, 2025, the plaintiff’s legal team, led by Mr. C.I. Enweluzo requested the court to grant permission for substituted service of the originating summons and other related court processes. This was necessitated by difficulties in serving the defendants personally.
Justice Mohammed, after reviewing the affidavit sworn by Solomon Ayotamuno, a litigation assistant at Liberty Chambers, and hearing arguments from the plaintiff’s counsels—including Femi Adegbite, Monday Dayi, Daso Jack, and D. Bakweri, granted the application and further directed that a hearing notice be issued, and the case adjourned till May 12, 2025, for substantive hearing.
The court also ordered that all relevant court documents be served on the defendants through DHL courier service to their last known addresses.
The affected addresses include: the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Asokoro, Abuja, the Senate President and the Senate of the Federal Republic at the National Assembly Complex, three Arms Zone, Abuja, the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the same Assembly Complex, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) at the Rivers State Government House, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
President Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State with an initial six-month suspension of democratic governance.
He further appointed an administrator to govern the state. The National Assembly has since ratified the President’s action in rather controversial circumstances.