The Presidency has rejected criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the Rivers State emergency rule, insisting the intervention was constitutional and restored stability to the troubled state.
In a statement posted on X, Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare, described the ADC’s accusations of autocracy and federal overreach as “laughable” and “nuisance politics.”
Dare said Tinubu invoked emergency powers under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to avert bloodshed and reestablish governance at a time when law and order in Rivers faced serious threats.
“The Constitution is clear: under Section 305, the President has the power — and the duty — to act when law and order are under grave threat,” Dare wrote. “What the President delivered is stability, the return of democratic institutions, and peace in Rivers State.”
He dismissed allegations that the move undermined federalism, noting that state officials were not sidelined but shielded from chaos until conditions allowed for their reinstatement.
“To accuse the President of undermining federalism is laughable. As a former governor, no Nigerian alive has fought harder for state autonomy than Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” Dare said.
The Presidency stressed that Tinubu’s decision was neither partisan nor arbitrary but a constitutional necessity to safeguard both Rivers State and the federation at large.
