Fresh twist as Rivers elders drag Tinubu to court over agreement on Wike-Fubara rift

Six elders from Rivers state have dragged President Bola Tinubu to the Federal High Court in Abuja, for allegedly forcing Governor Siminilaya Fubara to enter into an unconstitutional agreement with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

According to Vanguard, the elders said the 8-point resolution was illegal and undermined the extant/binding relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The plaintiffs, led by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Bonny State Constituency, Victor Jumbo, are Senator Bennett Birabi, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O. P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs and Emmanuel Deinma.

The elders asked the court to determine whether Tinubu, Fubara and the Rivers State Assembly have the right to enter into any agreement that has the effect of nullifying or undermining the constitutional/legal potency of the provisions of Section 109(I)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

They argued that neither President Tinubu nor Fubara has the statutory powers to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting fresh elections to replace the 27 Rivers state lawmakers.

Others in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1718/2023 are the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Governor Fubara, the Rivers Assembly, Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.