(DDM) – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has openly condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his decision to suspend and later reinstate Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the move as a brazen violation of Nigeria’s federal system.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that in a Thursday statement signed by party spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused Tinubu of usurping constitutional authority and setting Nigeria on the path of authoritarian rule.
The party said Tinubu’s actions — declaring emergency rule in Rivers for six months and unilaterally reinstating the governor, his deputy, and lawmakers — amounted to what it called “autocratic interference in state governance.”
According to ADC, governors derive their legitimacy solely from the people who elected them, not from presidential proclamations or the whims of Aso Rock.
The statement warned that such overreach threatens Nigeria’s fragile democracy, erodes constitutional federalism, and sends a dangerous signal that states are subordinate to the Presidency rather than co-equal entities in the federation.
“The powers of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution are very clear,” the ADC declared. “They are reserved strictly for genuine national emergencies such as war, breakdown of law and order, or natural disasters. They were never intended for political manipulation or settling disputes between governors and their assemblies.”
The ADC called on the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to rise to the occasion by clarifying the constitutional limits of presidential powers. It stressed that unchecked executive interference could embolden future presidents to suspend any governor who falls out of favor politically.
Analysts note that this marks one of the most vocal criticisms yet from a political party outside the dominant APC-PDP divide, as questions mount over the constitutional propriety of Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers.
Civil society groups and opposition figures have also raised concerns that if left unchallenged, Tinubu’s actions could entrench a pattern of federal dominance reminiscent of Nigeria’s military era.
The ADC insisted that Nigeria’s democratic journey must not be reversed through what it described as “dictatorial precedents clothed in emergency powers.”
It urged citizens to remain vigilant, lawmakers to defend their constitutional roles, and courts to act swiftly in protecting Nigeria’s democratic balance.
