By Paul Ebi
A Federal High Court sitting in Rivers State has dismissed a suit seeking to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency, ruling that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
The suit, filed by a Rivers-based activist, sought to halt the implementation of the emergency measures announced by the President, arguing that the declaration was unconstitutional and detrimental to democratic governance.
But delivering judgment on Friday, the presiding judge held that the applicant failed to establish how he was personally affected by the proclamation, thereby stripping him of the locus standi required to sustain the case.
The court noted that while citizens have the right to question government actions, such challenges must be backed by demonstrable personal interest or injury, which the plaintiff could not prove.
With the dismissal, the emergency rule declaration remains in force, allowing the Federal Government to proceed with its stated measures aimed at addressing the security and governance concerns that prompted the proclamation.
