The AG of the Federation invoked the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under section 232 of the 1999 Constitution and commenced a suit against the Attorneys General of the thirty-six states claiming amongst others.

All the defendants except the 29th and 30th Defendants (i.e. Attorney General of Osun and Oyo States respectively) filed their statements of Defence.

Eleven States filed preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to entertain the suit as they believed that the joining of non littoral states was a misjoinder along with the absence of jurisdiction by the Supreme Court to determine political questions and lack of jurisdiction by the Supreme Court to determine state seaward boundaries.

The objectors were asked to file briefs of argument in support of their objections. And at the hearing of the objections, all the parties adopted the arguments in their briefs. They all proferred oral arguments in support of their briefs except the 4th and 12th objectors.