The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the Presidency’s clarification on Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments regarding the President’s constitutional powers, describing it as ‘a mere attempt at political correctness.’
The party accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of ignoring constitutional boundaries and weakening democratic governance in Rivers State.
The ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said ina statement issued on Friday, insisted that Vice President’s comments were constitutionally accurate.
“The truth must not be lost in the fog of political correctness. The Vice President needs to stand by his forthright and courageous statement, which affirms that the President has no constitutional power to remove an elected councilor, not to talk of a sitting Governor,” Abdullahi stated
The ADC stated that the suspension of the Rivers State Governor lacked constitutional backing and posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic foundation.
“This simple truth, which is anchored in the Nigerian Constitution, must not be lost in the fog of political correctness that is currently emanating from Aso Rock. Truth does not respect political correctness, because what is wrong is wrong. What made the removal of an elected governor wrong and unconstitutional under President Jonathan in the case of Borno State, is the same that makes it wrong and unconstitutional under President Tinubu in the case of Rivers State,” the statement read.
The ADC compared President Tinubu and former President Goodluck Jonathan, highlighting that while Jonathan faced a national security crisis, he still respected constitutional boundaries.
“In declaring a state of emergency in the affected states under these dire circumstances, President Jonathan recognised the limits of his constitutional powers and he respected it,” the ADC stated.
Referring to Shettima’s own 2014 experience, the ADC noted that the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and the Attorney General, Mohammed Bello Adoke, upheld the constitutional principle that the President had no authority to remove an elected governor.
“This is not just history. It is precedent,” the party stated.
The ADC advised President Tinubu to restore democratic rule in Rivers State and stop all actions that contradict constitutional provisions and stop going above limits of his constitutional powers to leave dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.
