Lawyers of Dagogo Lodge Objection to Transfer of Rivers State Emergency Rule Lawsuit to Abuja Court
Former Federal Lawmaker Challenges Transfer of Legal Case to Abuja
Former federal lawmaker and 2023 governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has raised objections over the recent transfer of his legal challenge against the federal government's emergency rule declaration in Rivers to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a formal letter of protest, Dagogo's legal team expressed discontent with the decision, prompted by a directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The suit, initially filed in the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, was scheduled for a hearing on May 26, 2025, before being shifted unexpectedly to Abuja.
The suit stemmed from President Bola Tinubu's declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, citing security threats as the reason. The emergency rule suspended the state's democratically elected leadership and appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.) as the state's Administrator.
Responding to this, Dr. Dagogo filed a suit (FHC/PH/CS/50/2025) on April 9, 2025, questioning the constitutionality of the emergency rule. The defendants in the case include President Tinubu, the President of the Senate, the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the appointed Administrator. Initially presided over by Honourable Justice Turaki Mohammed in Port Harcourt, the case was adjourned for further proceedings on May 26, 2025. However, prior to the scheduled date, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court granted the AGF's request to move the case to Abuja.
In the protest letter, Dagogo's lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Cosmas Enweluzo, expressed concerns over the transfer, arguing that it violated judicial independence and due process. The letter also criticized the AGF's role in influencing the venue of the case, stating that such an action set a "dangerous precedent" and undermined public confidence in the justice system. Enweluzo further argued that the Attorney-General, as a party in the case representing the President, did not have the statutory authority to request or influence the transfer of the case from Port Harcourt to Abuja.
This controversy underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity and impartiality of the judicial process, as justice should be seen to be done in the jurisdiction where the case was originally filed to uphold public trust in the judicial system.
- Dr. Farah Dagogo, a 2023 governorship aspirant in Nigeria's Rivers State, is challenging the transfer of his legal case against the federal government's emergency rule in Rivers to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
- The protest letter from Dagogo's legal team argues that the transfer of the case from Port Harcourt to Abuja violates judicial independence and due process.
- The suit, which includes President Bola Tinubu, the President of the Senate, the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the appointed Administrator as defendants, was initially filed in the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court and was scheduled for a hearing on May 26, 2025.
- The controversy surrounding the transfer of the case from Port Harcourt to Abuja raises questions about maintaining the integrity and impartiality of the judicial process, emphasizing the importance of upholding public trust in the judicial system.
