Tensions are rising as Nigeria’s highest court faces fierce criticism for delaying a landmark case that could reshape the nation’s democracy.
Civil rights group HURIWA is calling out the Supreme Court, accusing it of hesitating to confront a major constitutional crisis.
Supreme Court Criticized for Delaying Decision on Rivers State Emergency Rule – HURIWA
In a powerful statement released on Sunday, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) lashed out at the Supreme Court, accusing it of deliberately delaying proceedings on a pivotal constitutional case filed by 11 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The civil rights group, through its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the apex court’s inaction—nearly a month after the case was filed—signals a worrying display of judicial cowardice and reluctance to address executive overreach.
“We believe the Supreme Court of Nigeria is doing the greatest disservice to the country by refusing or unduly delaying the constitution of a panel to adjudicate on the salient constitutional questions posed in this groundbreaking suit,” Onwubiko stated.
The controversial suit was initiated by the attorneys general of Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states.
They seek clarity on whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted within constitutional bounds when he allegedly suspended Rivers State’s governor and dissolved the state’s legislature under an emergency declaration.
Referring to specific sections of the 1999 Constitution—Sections 1(2), 5(2), 176, 180, 188, and 305—the plaintiffs argue that the law does not grant the president the authority to remove an elected governor or replace a state assembly with an unelected administrator.
HURIWA warned that the silence from the Supreme Court might be a strategy to push the governors toward seeking a political settlement instead of a judicial one, a move the group fears could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
“The delay is not just ominous; it is toxic,” Onwubiko added. “If the Justices are jittery and refusing to fix a hearing date, then we fear there may be a deeper conspiratorial plot to destabilize constitutional democracy and achieve total state capture.”
The association raised concerns that the continued judicial silence is already enabling political manipulation, alleging that some PDP governors are being pressured to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid or defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The Justices of the Supreme Court should be patriotic enough to entertain this matter and take a decision one way or another,” the statement continued. “This unnecessary delay has allowed the APC to exploit fear among PDP governors who are scared of losing their re-election bids.”
Despite the gravity of the matter and its national implications, HURIWA noted that there has been no official communication from the court regarding the scheduling of the case, raising serious transparency and accountability issues.
“Surprisingly, such a landmark case is being treated with a lackadaisical, ‘we don’t give a damn’ attitude,” Onwubiko lamented. “Millions of Nigerians and global observers are watching closely to see if our judiciary can still be trusted to defend democracy.”
The group pointed out that although President Tinubu and other respondents have 14 days from the service of summons to respond, the absence of a fixed hearing date is intensifying scrutiny over the Supreme Court’s role in safeguarding democracy.
“This is no longer just a legal matter,” HURIWA warned. “It’s about whether Nigeria’s democracy is governed by the rule of law or the whims of a powerful few.”
They concluded by urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria to immediately set up a panel and fix a hearing date, emphasizing that “justice delayed in this matter could very well be democracy denied.”
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