A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed an application seeking to halt the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, August 30.
Presiding Judge, Justice Stephen Jumbo, ruled that the ex parte motion filed by lawyer Williams Abayomi-Stanley lacked merit and was therefore dismissed.
The court, however, granted an order for substituted service on the defendants, which include President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Crucially, Justice Jumbo directed that the local government elections should proceed as planned.
The substantive suit was adjourned until September 10, 2025, for a full hearing.
The claimant’s counsel, Godsent Elewa, explained to reporters that the lawsuit seeks a constitutional interpretation. His client, a constitutional lawyer and indigene of Emuoha LGA, is asking the court to determine whether the President has the authority to appoint the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Elewa expressed respect for the court’s decision, noting that while the request for an injunction was dismissed, the order for substituted service was granted.
This will allow the suit to proceed with all parties properly served ahead of the next hearing date.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
