IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL DRAGS FG TO ECOWAS COURT OVER STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE

The ljaw Youths Council has dragged the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States over the state of emergency in Rivers State. The case was filed by twelve members of the Eastern Zone of the IYC, including Comrade IBISO and JOHN AMOS BENJAMIN on behalf of other members of the group. According to the lawsuit, the IYC members are claiming infringement on their right to participate freely in the government of Rivers State, both directly and through their freely chosen representatives, in accordance the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Members of the Eastern Zone of the ljaw Youths Council are demanding, among other things, for the ECOWAS Court to declare that the people of Rivers State are entitled to the right to take part in the governance of the state either. They also want the regional court to declare that their right to participate freely in the government of Rivers State, either directly or through freely chosen representatives is guaranteed, which they had expressed through the ballot by the election of the Governor and legislative representatives that run the executive and legislative functions in the state in the national polls of 2023. According to the court process obtained by our correspondent, the applicants are also demanding a declaration that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lacks the absolutely powers to suspend the Rivers State Governor, the Deputy Governor and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who were all elected by people of the state. They further want the court to declare that the proclamation of a state of emergency does not entail the collapse of democracy within the state or of the government in a federal system, and that the action of the President in suspending the democratic institutions and structure in Rivers State amounts to a violation of their right and the entire Rivers people are provided under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They asked the court to make an order quashing the President's action of suspending elected officials and removal of the democratic structures and institutions in Rivers State as an imperative for the enthronement of a fledged democratic order in the state. Additionally, the applicants demanded the award of ten million US dollars against the Federal Government as punitive and exemplary damages, and for such other order or orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.