ADC Slams Tinubu's Fitness: Demands NASS Intervention!

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed profound alarm regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, asserting that he has 'lost control' over his government. This accusation stems from a series of controversies, particularly the reported leadership crisis at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), which the ADC cites as evidence of a Presidency where official appointments are allegedly disregarded without consequence.

Through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC stated that the BCDA dispute, coupled with the earlier Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal and a discernible pattern of policy reversals, suggests that unelected individuals might have usurped the President’s constitutional powers to appoint and remove public officers. The party highlighted that the BCDA situation, where an individual publicly removed by presidential directive reportedly continues to occupy office and hold meetings with senior government officials, indicates a struggle for control within the Presidency itself, rather than mere administrative confusion.

The ADC emphasized that the BCDA episode is not an isolated incident. It recalled the 'embarrassing spectacle' of the PFIPC, an alleged government agency that officially did not exist but operated at the highest level of government. These combined incidents, according to the ADC, reveal a Presidency steadily losing its monopoly over the fundamental power of government: the constitutional authority to appoint and remove public officers. This has led to a situation where Nigerians are uncertain whether presidential appointments are final, dismissals take effect, or if superior authorities can overrule presidential decisions without explanation.

Further compounding concerns, the party pointed to a 'disturbing pattern of public reversals' under the administration. Examples include the hurried suspension of the Cybersecurity Levy after nationwide outrage and the withdrawal of the Expatriate Employment Levy following resistance from investors. The ADC criticized this approach, noting that Nigerians have become accustomed to a government that 'announces first, retreats later, and explains afterwards.' Such inconsistency, the party warned, erodes credibility, authority, and confuses both investors and the bureaucracy.

Given these 'grave constitutional implications,' the ADC has called on the National Assembly to 'immediately exercise its oversight responsibilities and invoke the relevant constitutional provisions.' The aim is to ascertain the President’s fitness to continue in office, ensuring that the powers vested in him by the Constitution are being personally exercised and not appropriated by unelected interests operating behind the scenes. The party concluded that if President Tinubu cannot assert control over his government, 'the honourable course is to acknowledge that reality and resign,' as Nigeria cannot afford a Presidency where no one knows who is truly in charge.

Adding to the chorus of criticism, former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also weighed in on the BCDA crisis. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the situation as 'another disgraceful episode' and part of a growing catalogue of administrative confusion. He stated that the controversy portrays Nigeria as 'a state where official pronouncements no longer command official obedience.' Atiku urged the Presidency to clarify the legal status of the BCDA leadership and ensure future appointments comply with enabling laws. He also advised President Tinubu to shelve any 2027 re-election bid and instead focus on addressing the nation's pressing challenges or, alternatively, gracefully withdraw from the presidential contest if he has fallen short of Nigerians' expectations.