The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed profound alarm over a recent Supreme Court judgement in Nigeria, which empowers the President to suspend elected governors and state assemblies during a state of emergency.
In a strongly worded statement by the National Publicity Secretary today, the opposition party described the ruling as a perilous inflection point that could irrevocably alter the nation’s democratic landscape.
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According to the judgement, the President holds discretion to implement “extraordinary measures” deemed necessary to restore peace and security in any affected state.
The ADC argues that this broad authority could be exploited to fabricate security crises in states led by “unfriendly” governors, enabling the suspension of both the executive and legislative arms.
“The obvious implication… 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,” the statement reads.
The party contends that despite the court’s assertion that “no arm or tier of government is constitutionally superior to another,” the ruling effectively grants the President overarching control over state politics, undermining Nigeria’s federalism.
The ADC labelled this a “dangerous threat” to democratic principles.
Highlighting the judgement’s safeguards proportionality, legislative oversight, and judicial review the ADC dismissed them as inadequate under the current administration.
It accused President Bola Tinubu of decimating opposition parties since assuming office, rendering proportionality unfeasible.
With the National Assembly portrayed as a “mere appendage of the Presidency,” legislative checks are deemed implausible.
On judicial review, the ADC criticised the Supreme Court for prioritising the “letter of the law over its spirit,” thereby sanctioning potential abuses.
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The statement warns of “constitutional tyranny,” where leaders exploit legal loopholes to entrench autocracy without overt coups.
“Constitutional tyranny does not always arrive through military coups. It often advances gradually, as rulers steadily erode democratic norms and institutions, precisely as we have witnessed over the past two years,” it states.
The ADC urged Nigerians to recognise that neither the legislature nor judiciary can reliably prevent this slide, calling for vigilance to safeguard democracy.
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