African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the Supreme Court’s endorsement of presidential powers to remove elected state governors and dismantle democratic structures is a constitutional tyranny that endangers federalism and democracy.
The ADC believed the Supreme Court’s creation of a “constitutional tyrant” that affirms the President’s powers to suspend elected governors and state assemblies during a state of emergency was wrong and undermines the whole essence of democracy, and is purely academic.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party warned that the ruling, although academic in nature, sets a dangerous precedent and concentrates excessive power in the Presidency in a manner that undermines not only Nigeria’s federal system but also democracy itself.
ADC expressed shock at the Supreme Court’s judgment granting the President the power to suspend elected governors and state assemblies during a state of emergency.
“Although the ruling appears innocuously academic, it represents a potential inflection point in our democratic development, one that may alter the nature of our democracy forever,” the party stated.
Continuing: “According to the Supreme Court judgment, the President has the ‘discretion to determine the measures required to restore peace and security’ after declaring a state of emergency in any state. In essence, the President may take any ‘extraordinary measures’ if, in his opinion, such measures are necessary to restore peace in that state.
“The obvious implication of this position by the apex court is that the President of Nigeria, or his agents, could easily contrive a security situation in any state whose governor is deemed “unfriendly” and proceed to suspend both the governor and the state House of Assembly.
“Although the same judgment notes that the Constitution provides that ‘no arm or tier of government is constitutionally superior to another’, the clear effect of the ruling suggests the opposite and grants the President firm control over the political conduct of state governors. The ADC, therefore, considers this judgment an extremely dangerous threat to Nigeria’s federalism and democracy.
