The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply rebuked Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for suggesting that President Bola Tinubu could now “rule Nigeria with the military” in the wake of a recent Supreme Court verdict on the state of emergency in Rivers State.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the APC described Okonkwo’s comments as “reckless and misleading”, as well as “intellectually dishonest”.
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The party emphasised that Supreme Court judgments represent the pinnacle of constitutional authority in a democracy, not military decrees.
Oladejo clarified that the apex court did not suspend democracy in Rivers State but simply interpreted the law as mandated by the Nigerian Constitution.
He noted that while court decisions may disappoint certain political actors, they remain binding on all parties in a constitutional democracy.
Defending President Tinubu, the statement highlighted his longstanding democratic credentials. “President Bola Tinubu has neither sought nor exercised extra-constitutional powers,” Oladejo said.
“He was a frontline opponent of military dictatorship, a victim of repression, and a key contributor to 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.”
The APC accused Okonkwo of exhibiting a typical opposition tendency: attempting to delegitimise the judiciary and incite public fear whenever rulings do not align with their expectations.
Such rhetoric, the party argued, poses the greatest threat to Nigeria’s nascent democracy by eroding confidence in institutions and promoting anarchy.
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Oladejo reaffirmed that Nigeria operates as a constitutional democracy, governed by laws, institutions, and the separation of powers.
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“The military remains under civilian control as prescribed by the Constitution, with no action under President Tinubu suggesting otherwise,” he added.
The Lagos APC urged all Nigerians, democrats, and patriots to condemn this “new low” from the opposition, stressing that Supreme Court verdicts serve as instruments of justice that bolster, rather than undermine, democratic governance.
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