Tinubu Faces Legal Challenge Over Rivers Local Elections

President Bola Tinubu has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over the controversial Rivers State local government elections held on August 30, 2025.

In a suit filed on September 11, 2025 (No. FHC/PH/CS/173/2025), lawyer Clifford Nnanta Chuku is asking the court to nullify the polls and declare unconstitutional the Emergency Powers Regulation introduced by President Tinubu to guide the elections.

Chuku contends that the regulation, which suspended parts of the Electoral Act 2022 and Rivers State electoral laws, violated the constitution and undermined democratic processes. He argued that the President’s suspension of sections of the law for the Rivers elections was unconstitutional and amounted to an overreach of presidential authority.

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The suit names President Tinubu, the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as defendants.

Key issues before the court include whether the regulation illegally restricted the democratic rights of Rivers State residents and whether RSIEC’s election notice adhered to the required legal timelines. Chuku is seeking a court order to strike down the regulation, annul the August 30 polls, and compel RSIEC to conduct fresh elections in full compliance with the Electoral Act.

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The Federal High Court has scheduled the hearing for October 21, 2025. Legal analysts suggest that the outcome could significantly shape the limits of presidential powers in election matters.