President Bola Tinubu
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a fresh attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration, alleging that the President has lost control of the federal government and urging the National Assembly to investigate whether he remains capable of effectively discharging the responsibilities of his office.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party described the controversy surrounding the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) as a serious constitutional issue that raises questions about who is truly exercising executive authority in the country.
According to the ADC, reports indicating that an official who was allegedly removed by presidential directive continues to occupy the office and hold meetings with senior government officials, if confirmed, point to a deeper governance crisis.
The party stated: “If the reports concerning the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) are true, then this is no longer about one disputed appointment. It is about something far more disturbing: who is actually in charge of the Nigerian Presidency? When a President announces the appointment of one person and another simply ignores that directive and carries on in office, Nigeria is no longer witnessing administrative confusion. We are witnessing a struggle for control of the Presidency itself.”
The ADC argued that the BCDA controversy should not be viewed as an isolated incident, citing what it described as previous cases that reflected a pattern of confusion within the administration.
It referenced the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), claiming the body operated despite not being officially recognised by the government.
The party further contended that the repeated controversies suggest that the Presidency is gradually losing control over one of its core constitutional responsibilities—the appointment and removal of public officers.
According to the statement, “Today, Nigerians no longer know whether an appointment announced by the Presidency is final, whether a dismissal actually takes effect, or whether someone somewhere possesses a superior authority capable of overruling presidential decisions without explanation.”
The ADC also criticised what it described as repeated policy reversals by the Tinubu administration, citing the suspension of the cybersecurity levy, the withdrawal of the expatriate employment levy and what it called contradictory government pronouncements across different sectors.
It argued that such developments have weakened public confidence in government decisions.
The statement added: “A government that cannot consistently stand by its own decisions gradually loses not only credibility, but authority. Investors become uncertain. The bureaucracy become confused. Public institutions begin to test the limits because they no longer know whether today’s directive will still exist tomorrow.”
The opposition party said Nigerians deserve clear explanations regarding the authority behind key government appointments and decisions.
It asked: “Who is exercising the constitutional powers of the President? Who authorises appointments? Who countermanded the President’s directive at the BCDA, if indeed it has been countermanded? Who permitted a fictitious agency to masquerade as an arm of the Presidency? These are not opposition questions. They are constitutional questions. They go directly to the integrity of executive authority and the stability of our nation.”
The ADC maintained that uncertainty over presidential authority could have serious implications for governance, investor confidence and public administration.
Calling for legislative intervention, the party urged the National Assembly to invoke its constitutional oversight powers to determine whether President Tinubu remains fully capable of personally exercising the powers vested in his office.
According to the statement, “In view of the grave constitutional implications of these repeated episodes, the National Assembly should immediately exercise its oversight responsibilities and invoke the relevant constitutional provisions to satisfy itself that the President remains fully capable in body and sound mind to discharge the duties of his office and that the powers vested in him by the Constitution are being personally exercised by him, not appropriated by unelected interests operating behind the scenes.”
The ADC concluded by insisting that if the President is unable to exercise effective control over his administration, he should step aside.
The party stated: “If President Tinubu is unable to assert control over his own Presidency, then the honourable course is to acknowledge that reality and resign. Nigeria cannot afford a Presidency where nobody knows who is truly in charge.”
