Regarding Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remark regarding presidential powers, the African Democratic Congress has rejected the Presidency’s latest clarification, calling it “a mere attempt at political correctness.”
President Bola Tinubu was charged by the party in a statement issued on Friday with going beyond constitutional bounds and threatening democracy in the state of Rivers.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the interim national publicity secretary and spokesperson for the ADC, 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.
It’s important to avoid letting political correctness obscure the truth. According to Abdullahi, 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 serving governor.
He went on to say that the Presidency’s answer chose political appeasement over constitutional integrity, missing the mark.
Concerning what it called the unlawful suspension of the governor of Rivers State, the ADC warned that such a move constituted a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
The party added, “The political correctness that is currently erupting from Aso Rock must not obscure this straightforward fact, which is rooted in the Nigerian Constitution.
“The reason why President Tinubu declared the removal of an elected governor in Rivers State to be unconstitutional and wrong is the same reason why President Jonathan declared it to be unconstitutional and wrong in Borno State.”
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Although battling Boko Haram attacks, the party pointed out that former President Goodluck Jonathan observed constitutional limitations, in contrast to Tinubu.
Shettima’s experience as governor of Borno State in 2014 was cited by the ADC, which recalled 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 is more than just the past. It is known as precedent,” the party emphasized.
In Rivers State, the ADC called on President Tinubu to restore democratic order and abstain from acts that would contravene the constitution.
