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Rivers emergency rule: APC, opposition continue battle as PDP govs head for court

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the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum has said it will take legal action against the Federal Government.

President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; as well as members of the state House of Assembly for six months.

The President then appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (retd.) as the Sole Administrator of the state.

The PDP governors contended that the President’s actions were unconstitutional and threatened Nigeria’s democratic principles.

Seeking legal intervention, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, criticised the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, adding that the party’s governors’ forum would challenge the matter in court.

Makinde, in his bi-weekly newsletter— The Business of Governance (Issue 110)— noted that the suspension of democracy in the state was an illegal act that all well-meaning Nigerians must condemn.

The governor said, “I am glad that our great party, the PDP, is demonstrating the needed strength and leadership.

The PDP Governors’ Forum rose from an emergency meeting where we unanimously decided to challenge the actions of President Tinubu in a court of competent jurisdiction.

We cannot fold our hands and watch the democracy we built for almost three decades be trampled upon.

Seeking legal intervention, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, criticised the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, adding that the party’s governors’ forum would challenge the matter in court.

Makinde, in his bi-weekly newsletter— The Business of Governance (Issue 110)— noted that the suspension of democracy in the state was an illegal act that all well-meaning Nigerians must condemn.

The governor said, “I am glad that our great party, the PDP, is demonstrating the needed strength and leadership. The PDP Governors’ Forum rose from an emergency meeting where we unanimously decided to challenge the actions of President Tinubu in a court of competent jurisdiction.

We cannot fold our hands and watch the democracy we built for almost three decades be trampled upon.

“I stand today to say that the declaration of the state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of the executive and legislative arms of government by the presidency is an illegality that right-thinking members of society must oppose.

“Our democratic tenets must never be trifled with, no matter our personal feelings and loyalties. This is the time to take a stand for fairness, equity and justice.”

Makinde urged Nigerians to speak out whenever anything threatened the nation’s progress.

Showing support for the governors’ forum, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the party, Timothy Osadolor, said the state of emergency would be challenged in court.

Speaking on Saturday, Osadolor noted that President Tinubu was unmindful of the implications of his pronouncement.

The youth leader added that the court remained the last hope of the common man.

Osadolor said, “The President lacks the locus to suspend two elected arms of government; the legislature and executive in the state.

There is no place in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that gives such powers.

“Has the President forgotten that the office is guided by law? Although he has the right to declare a state of emergency, there is nowhere it is stated that he can suspend officials.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the past, and the governors still held the forte in their states.

”Corroborating Osadolor, a sociopolitical group, Niger Delta Youth Council, expressed full support for the PDP Governors’ Forum in their resolve to challenge the state of emergency in court.

This was contained in a statement by the President of the NDYC, Bene Mamamu, on Friday.

He alleged that the state of emergency declared on Rivers by President Tinubu “is an expression of his bias and hatred for the Niger Delta region.

”Reverse emergency rule, Ijaw group tells Tinubu

Meanwhile, an advocacy group, Ijaw People’s Association, decried the state of emergency, describing it as a “desecration of democracy” and “desperation taken too far”.

The IPA called on the President to show that he was a democrat by reversing the decision in the interest of peace and proper development to take place.

The President of the group, Patrick Ebikebuno, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

Ebikebuno noted that the declaration was disturbing for the Ijaw nation, including people of the ethnic group in Ondo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states.

He emphasised the peaceful nature of the Ijaw people, stating, “We are gentle in character and very accommodating.

”The South-South Governors’ Forum had earlier called for the reversal of the state of emergency in Rivers State.

This was in a statement signed by the Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, in Yenagoa, the state capital.

According to the forum, the political crisis in Rivers State ought to be ideally resolved through legal and constitutional means rather than by executive fiat.

Meanwhile, the Government of Cross River State distanced itself from the position of the South-South Governors’ Forum’s to reject the emergency rule in Rivers.

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President Tinubu returns to Lagos ahead of APC primaries tomorrow (Video)

Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

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• President Tinubu chats with African business leaders during the African CEO Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday arrived in Lagos after a three-nation visit to France, Kenya and Rwanda.

Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

A statement issued by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the president was received by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Femi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and other government officials.

President Tinubu, while in France, met with global investors, emphasising transparency and fiscal discipline and explaining the rationale for the swift implementation of the bold economic reforms his administration has instituted.

Watch Video below:

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Anxiety as chemical pollution affects 6 Ogun schools, 90 students

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Triggers Widespread Panic One Month After Similar Incident

More than 90 students across several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode were hospitalised on Friday after a suspected chemical odour permeated the town, sparking panic among parents and residents.

Ohibaba.com learned that the pollution was caused by gas leak along the Agoro/Okunowa Road axis of Ijebu-Ode; the situation is now under control by the state environmental monitoring agency, and poses no further danger.

The incident occurred barely one month after a similar chemical odour episode at Our Lady of Apostles Girls School left several students hospitalised.

Eyewitnesses reported that a strange smell spread rapidly across parts of the ancient town, prompting parents and guardians to rush to schools to evacuate their children. Emergency responders moved over a thousand students from affected schools to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for medical attention.

Medical personnel at the hospital said many of the affected students complained of abdominal pain and related symptoms. Residents in surrounding communities and adjoining streets were also reportedly impacted by the unusual odour.

Affected schools include Our Lady of Apostles School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Sambadola Private School, Adeola Odutola Secondary School, and St. Anthony School, Esure, in Ijebu Mushin.

As of the time of reporting, no senior government officials had arrived at the State Hospital, where anxious parents and residents gathered in large numbers.

Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that medical personnel were attending to the students. He added that environmental officials from both federal and state agencies had been mobilised to investigate the situation.

The General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, disclosed that an air quality monitoring device installed at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School recorded elevated methane gas concentrations, with peak readings of about 13,500 ppm in surrounding areas.

Bello explained that the device was deployed under the state government’s environmental surveillance programme for early detection of abnormal air quality. He noted that while the methane level remains below the lower explosive limit, it is environmentally significant and requires urgent investigation.

The Ogun State Government has since activated a multi-agency team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, and technical air quality experts to assess the situation.

Bello advised residents to stay calm, continue normal activities, and avoid open flames or ignition sources in areas where unusual gas odours are noticed. He urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, or respiratory discomfort to seek immediate medical attention at nearby health facilities.

The government assured the public of its commitment to protecting lives and public health, promising further updates as investigations progress.

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JUST IN: Dangote files new lawsuit against FGN over fuel import licences

The new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a new lawsuit against Nigeria’s attorney general in a bid to overturn fuel import licences issued to ‌marketers and the NNPC state oil firm.

Reuters reported that the new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.

The case signals renewed tensions almost a year after Dangote withdrew an earlier lawsuit challenging similar licences.

That case sought to nullify import permits issued to the Nigerian ⁠National Petroleum Company and several traders.

NMDPRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Regulators and marketers have previously argued imports are needed to ‌ensure ⁠adequate supply and prevent shortages.

Dangote said in the filing that the licences issued this month undermine its operations and contravene the law, which it argues allows imports only when domestic supply falls short.

Dangote ⁠ended the earlier lawsuit in July 2025 without explanation, leaving unresolved questions over competition and supply in one of Africa’s largest fuel markets.

Nigeria ⁠has long relied on petrol imports due to underperforming state refineries. Dangote’s $20 billion facility, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels ⁠per day, was billed to end that dependence, but imports have continued to cover supply gaps as the refinery ramps up output.

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