The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday joined other voices in condemning the suspension and subsequent reinstatement of the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara and other elected members of the state assembly, describing the action as “whimsically autocratic.”
President Bola Tinubu had on March 18 2025, suspended the governor, the deputy governor Prof. Ngozi Odu and the entire members of the state assembly for six months over some festering irreconcilable issues and appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas rtd. as Sole Administrator for the period.
In a statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, the ADC said it was dismayed by President Tinubu’s attempt to disguise political brinkmanship as statesmanship. The party stressed that the President’s action in Rivers would define his political legacy.
“On Wednesday, September 17, 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.
“The President’s decision to arrogate himself the power to suspend and recall elected officials in Rivers State, as he had done, is whimsically autocratic and should be recognised and condemned as a threat to our democracy.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) reiterates that what has happened in Rivers State over the last six months is a brazen manipulation of constitutional provisions to serve narrow political interests” ADC stated.
The coalition party went further to state that it harbours no doubts that “the situation that served as the pretext for the declaration of the state of emergency was a clear act of political contrivance that only demanded the President’s unbiased political intervention. Instead, the President chose to serve the will of demagogues in his government, deploying the power of the constitution to attack what he should have protected.”
The ADC lamented that “For six long months, the will of the people of Rivers State was set aside. Their elected leaders were, in effect, put on suspension — not by a court of law, but by a President who himself was elected. Now, with the wave of a hand and the ink from his pen, the same President has decided to “allow” other duly elected officials back to work, as though they were his political appointees”.
The part went further to argue that “Governors and legislators in a democracy do not draw their legitimacy from Aso Rock. They derive it from the people who elected them. Only a competent court can remove or restrain them — not a press statement or presidential proclamation.
“The President is not a Headmaster, and Governors are not his pupils to be sent home and recalled at his discretion. Yet, we recall that this President once claimed to be a federalist who, as a state governor himself, fought to protect the relative autonomy of his state.
“However, with this action, the President and his men have achieved their goals — and that goal was not to “restore peace” to Rivers State. They now have a thoroughly pacified government in Rivers State, which has learnt its hard lessons that its primary loyalty is not to the people of Rivers State, but to Abuja. More importantly, the Rivers experience would now serve as a clear warning to other state governments in the country to “behave themselves.”
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AMAC/Bwari Rep commiserates with Gov. Ododo over father’s death
By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka
In a gesture of goodwill and sympathy, Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika, Member of the House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, has over the week paid a condolence visit to Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, following the passing of his beloved father, according to Obika Media Group.
During the visit, Hon. Obika offered his profound sympathy to the Governor and the people of Kogi State, praying for the eternal rest of the departed soul. He described death as an inevitable part of life and prayed for God’s mercy and forgiveness on the deceased.
Hon. Obika also prayed for the strength and fortitude of the Governor, his family, and the people of Kogi State to bear the loss.
The Governor warmly received Hon. Obika, appreciating his gesture of goodwill during this difficult time.
