ADC Challenges Presidential Authority Following Agency Controversies
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally called upon the National Assembly to evaluate whether President Bola Tinubu remains fit to discharge the duties of his office. The party’s demand, issued in a statement by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, follows a series of administrative disputes that the opposition argues demonstrate a systemic loss of executive control.
The ADC asserts that the administration is experiencing a struggle for control of the Presidency itself,
citing a pattern where presidential directives regarding the appointment and removal of public officials are allegedly being ignored or countermanded. The party argued that when a President’s public orders are disregarded by subordinates, the resulting confusion undermines the integrity of executive authority and national stability.
The Border Communities Development Agency Dispute
Central to the ADC’s concerns is the ongoing leadership crisis at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA). According to the party, the administration faces a constitutional crisis where an official who was publicly removed from office by presidential directive reportedly continues to occupy the position, hold official meetings, and maintain authority. The situation has drawn further scrutiny from former Vice President and presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, who, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, characterized the BCDA episode as proof of a government adrift.
Atiku highlighted that the official purportedly replaced remains listed as the chief executive on the agency’s website and continues to engage with government ministers.
The “Phantom” Agency and Institutional Disorder
The ADC maintains that the BCDA controversy is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of institutional disorder. The party pointed to the emergence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which it described as a “phantom” agency. The ADC noted that the entity only faced official scrutiny after allegations surfaced regarding its leadership’s collaboration with the President’s Chief of Staff.
Policy Reversals and Economic Uncertainty
Beyond personnel disputes, the ADC and Atiku Abubakar criticized the administration for frequent and inconsistent policy reversals.
Call for Accountability and Political Future
In response to these governance challenges, the ADC has demanded that the National Assembly address fundamental constitutional questions, including who is currently authorizing appointments and who possesses the power to overrule the President. The party emphasized that these are not merely opposition talking points but critical inquiries into the stability of the executive branch. Atiku Abubakar went further, calling on President Tinubu to abandon his 2027 re-election ambitions. Atiku argued that the President should instead focus his remaining tenure on addressing national challenges or, alternatively, acknowledge that his administration has fallen short of expectations and withdraw from the upcoming contest.
History remembers leaders not for how desperately they sought to retain power, but for the wisdom they displayed in knowing when they had lost the confidence and goodwill of the people,
Atiku stated.
