Referred to as “a mere attempt at political correctness,” the African Democratic Congress has dismissed the Presidency’s recent clarification over Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remark regarding presidential authority.
The party charged President Bola Tinubu with going beyond constitutional bounds and eroding democracy in the state of Rivers in a statement issued on Friday.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s interim national publicity secretary and spokesperson, maintained that Shettima’s assertion on the President’s power limitations was constitutionally solid and ought to be upheld rather than weakened by Villa spin.
“The haze of political correctness must not obscure the reality. The vice president must stick to his brave and direct declaration that the president is not constitutionally authorized to remove an elected council member, much less a sitting governor, Abdullahi stated.
The Presidency’s answer, he continued, missed the mark and prioritized political appeasement over constitutional integrity.
The ADC warned that such a measure constituted a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and voiced alarm over what it called the unlawful suspension of the governor of Rivers State.
The party went on to say, “The political correctness that is currently erupting from Aso Rock must not obscure this straightforward fact, which is rooted in the Nigerian Constitution.
Read Also: Governor Uba Sani Backs Constitution Amendment to Empower Women in Politics
“The same factors that rendered the removal of an elected governor in Borno State unlawful and unconstitutional under President Jonathan also render it unlawful and unconstitutional under President Tinubu in the case of Rivers State.”
The party pointed out that former President Goodluck Jonathan observed constitutional bounds in contrast to Tinubu, even though he was dealing with Boko Haram attacks.
The ADC cited Shettima’s personal experience as governor of Borno State in 2014, recalling how the Attorney General, Mohammed Bello Adoke, and the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, adamantly maintained the rule that a president could not dismiss a governor on his own.
This goes beyond history. The party emphasized that it is precedent.
President Tinubu was encouraged by the ADC to restore democratic order in Rivers State and to abstain from acts that would contravene the constitution.
