“Impeach CJN Kekere-Ekun Now” — HURIWA Urges N’Assembly Over Alleged Constitutional Breach In PDP Governors’ Rivers State Emergency Case

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, has called on members of the tenth National Assembly to demonstrate their loyalty to the Nigerian Constitution by immediately impeaching Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The call follows the apex court’s alleged failure to hear the case brought by 11 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s six-month state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

HURIWA’s statement noted that the emergency declaration, which took effect in March 2025, lapses at midnight on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The group warned Nigerians to consider recalling their National Assembly representatives should they allow what HURIWA described as the “absolute illegality” of the Supreme Court to persist.

According to HURIWA, the Supreme Court, under section 232(1) of the 1999 Constitution, has original jurisdiction over disputes between the Federation and a State or between States where the existence or extent of a legal right depends on the outcome. The group stressed that Justice Kekere-Ekun’s refusal to entertain the PDP governors’ suit in case number SC/CV/329/2025 constitutes a breach of this constitutional mandate.

The 11 states had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the legality of the president’s actions, arguing that suspending elected officials and replacing them with appointed administrators contravenes Sections 1(2), 5(2), 176, 180, 188, and 305 of the Constitution. HURIWA has consistently described the appointment of a sole administrator for Rivers State as an unlawful overthrow of democratic structures.

While the federal government filed a preliminary objection, claiming the plaintiffs lacked locus standi and that no genuine dispute existed, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, argued that the only remedy for the “illegal refusal” of the Supreme Court to hear the case is for the National Assembly to impeach the CJN.

HURIWA further warned that if the National Assembly, dominated by members seen as surrogates of President Tinubu, fails to act, Justice Kekere-Ekun should voluntarily resign to preserve the integrity of the judiciary. The group also urged civil society organizations to defend democracy through peaceful protests against the continued tenure of the CJN under these circumstances.