The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned remarks attributed to African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, who suggested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can now “rule Nigeria with the military” following a Supreme Court verdict on emergency rule in Rivers State.
Describing the comments as “reckless and misleading,” the APC said Okonkwo’s claims were false and “intellectually dishonest,” stressing that Supreme Court decisions are legal rulings, not military decrees.
Mogaji Seye Oladejo, spokesman for the Lagos APC, clarified that the Supreme Court did not suspend democracy in Rivers State but merely interpreted the law under the Nigerian Constitution.
“A Supreme Court judgment is the highest expression of constitutional authority in a democracy. It is neither a military fiat nor an executive directive,” Oladejo said. “To deliberately conflate a judicial verdict with military rule is to either misunderstand democracy or mislead the public for partisan purposes.”
He further defended President Tinubu’s democratic credentials, noting that the president has a history of opposing military dictatorship and supporting the restoration of civil rule in Nigeria. “The suggestion that such a leader would govern by military proxy is as absurd as it is insulting,” Oladejo added.
The spokesman criticized opposition figures for attempting to delegitimize the judiciary whenever court decisions do not align with their political interests. “This pattern of crying dictatorship at every unfavorable verdict is irresponsible and dangerous. Undermining confidence in the courts threatens the very foundations of our nascent democracy,” he said.
Oladejo reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy governed by laws, institutions, and the separation of powers, adding: “The military is under civilian control, and there has been no action, directive, or policy under President Tinubu that suggests otherwise.”
The Lagos APC called on Nigerians, democrats, and patriots to condemn what it described as a new low from the opposition. “Supreme Court verdicts are instruments of justice, not instruments of tyranny. They strengthen democracy; they do not destroy it,” Oladejo concluded.
Comments