Rivers Emergency Sparks Firestorm As Lagos APC Slams Kenneth Okonkwo

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised comments made by African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, over the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rivers State emergency.

Okonkwo, while expressing his disagreement with the apex court’s decision, had suggested that the ruling effectively allows President Bola Tinubu to govern the country under military-style authority.

Responding in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the APC described Okonkwo’s remarks as “reckless and misleading.”

The party said the comments were not only false but also “intellectually dishonest,” stressing that Supreme Court judgments cannot be equated with military decrees.

Oladejo explained that the court did not suspend democratic governance in Rivers State but merely exercised its constitutional role by interpreting the law.

In the statement he signed, Oladejo noted that while judicial decisions may frustrate political interests, they remain binding on all parties in a constitutional democracy.

“A Supreme Court judgment represents the highest exercise of constitutional authority in a democracy. It is neither a military order nor an executive instruction. To equate a judicial ruling with military rule reflects either a fundamental misunderstanding of democratic processes or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public for political purposes,” he said.

He further rejected claims that President Tinubu is exercising extra-constitutional powers, describing such narratives as alarmist and unfounded.

According to Oladejo, President Tinubu’s democratic credentials are well established, recalling that he was a prominent opponent of military rule, a victim of repression, and a key contributor to Nigeria’s return to civil governance.

“The suggestion that a leader with such a history would now rule by military proxy is both absurd and deeply offensive,” he added.

Oladejo accused the opposition of attempting to undermine the judiciary whenever court decisions do not align with their expectations, warning that such conduct erodes public trust and threatens democratic stability.

He also expressed concern that anti-democratic rhetoric and the encouragement of disorder are becoming the opposition’s default response to constitutional setbacks, describing this trend as a serious danger to Nigeria’s democracy.

Oladejo reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law, institutional checks, and separation of powers.

He added that the military remains firmly under civilian control as stipulated by the Constitution, and stressed that there has been no policy, directive, or action under President Tinubu that suggests otherwise.