In an enterprise where 24 hours is a long time, the Supreme Court’s nine-month delay has needlessly altered the democratic and federalist landscape in Nigeria. The Supreme Court reserved judgement in the case after hearing it on 21 October and pronounced judgement on December 15. The Rivers emergency rule issue is a sensitive national matter that holds precedent for the country’s democracy and federalism. For instance, when Tinubu took the centre to court for seizing LG funds in Lagos, the Supreme Court ruled that the centre was wrong and ordered that the seized allocations be released. The Supreme Court has just stamped the anomaly with its judicial imprimatur.

Source: Punch December 26, 2025 07:35 UTC