In an interview with Arise News FROM 15:00, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof. Konyisola Ajayi stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State is not absolute and can be overturned by the National Assembly within 48 hours.
He emphasized that lawmakers have the constitutional power to reject the declaration, effectively restoring Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State Assembly to full function.
Prof. Ajayi explained that if the National Assembly endorses the President’s decision, Fubara could still return to office under certain conditions. However, he advised that the governor’s best legal recourse is to challenge the move at the Federal High Court rather than the Supreme Court, as individuals cannot directly petition the apex court in such matters.
“I don’t think the members of the House should be so upset because they have all the powers to stop the President in his track. They could have done that today and ended all this. Having said so, if they approve what the President did, Fubara can go back, but I think his option is to go to the Federal High Court and not the Supreme Court because an individual has no right to approach the Supreme Court,” Ajayi stated.