Eleven governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have taken President Bola Tinubu to the Supreme Court. They are challenging his decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend the state’s elected officials.

This legal case was officially filed on Tuesday, according to Dr. Festus Akande, the Supreme Court’s spokesperson. The lawsuit, labeled SC/CV/329/2025, questions whether the President has the right to remove a sitting governor and appoint someone else without an election.

The emergency rule was declared on March 18. It led to the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the state House of Assembly for six months. Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retired) was named the sole administrator to run the state during this period.

The 11 states involved in the lawsuit are Adamawa, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, and Bayelsa. Each governor filed the case through their Attorney General.

The governors argue that Tinubu’s actions go against several parts of Nigeria’s Constitution. They believe it’s unconstitutional for the President to suspend elected officials and replace them with someone who wasn’t elected by the people.

They also say the declaration of emergency did not follow proper legal steps, as required by the 1999 Constitution.

The Federal Government and other parties named in the case must respond within 14 days of receiving the court papers.

This lawsuit comes after weeks of speculation about what steps the PDP governors would take. Initially, only seven states were expected to sue, but now eleven have joined the legal challenge.