By David Liam
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of acting beyond his constitutional powers in the Rivers State political crisis, warning that his actions threaten Nigeria’s democracy and federal balance.
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the suspension and reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials in Rivers State, describing it as “whimsically autocratic” and a dangerous precedent.
“On Wednesday, 17 September, Nigerians witnessed a curious spectacle: President Tinubu directing the Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State Assembly in Rivers State to ‘resume’ duties after serving his six-month suspension from office,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC argued that Tinubu’s intervention amounted to assuming powers not granted to the presidency under the constitution, insisting that only the judiciary has the authority to remove or reinstate elected leaders.
“The President’s decision to arrogate to himself the power to suspend and recall elected officials in Rivers State is a threat to our democracy,” the party said, alleging that the six-month state of emergency declared in the state was politically motivated rather than driven by genuine security concerns.
The party accused the President of manipulating constitutional provisions to serve narrow political interests. “What has happened in Rivers State over the last six months is a brazen manipulation of constitutional provisions to serve Abuja’s political agenda,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC maintained that Rivers people were denied their right to be governed by elected leaders, noting that the reinstatement of Fubara only reinforced Tinubu’s control. “By removing a sitting governor and now personally directing his return, the message could not have been clearer: ‘I removed you, and I alone can bring you back,’” the statement added.
The party also reminded Tinubu of his past advocacy for federalism as Lagos governor, contrasting it with his current posture, which it said reduces governors to subordinates of the federal government.
“The President is not a headmaster, and governors are not his pupils to be sent home and recalled at his discretion,” Abdullahi declared.
Calling for judicial intervention, the ADC urged the Supreme Court to take a firm stance on the Rivers crisis. “The judiciary cannot maintain silent indifference, or history will record them as collaborators in the subversion of our democracy,” it warned.
The party further stressed that Section 305 of the Constitution, which grants emergency powers, was never intended as a political tool but for genuine threats like disasters, epidemics, or national security crises.
According to the ADC, the Rivers crisis underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s democratic institutions when subjected to political expediency and unchecked executive power.
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