“Lagos APC Slams Okonkwo Over ‘Military Rule’ Claim”

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed comments credited to African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, suggesting that President Bola Tinubu could “rule Nigeria with the military” following a Supreme Court ruling on the emergency rule in Rivers State.

The APC described the remarks as reckless, misleading and intellectually dishonest, stressing that Supreme Court judgments are constitutional decisions, not military decrees.

In a statement signed by the party’s spokesman, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the APC said the apex court did not suspend democracy in Rivers State but merely exercised its constitutional duty of interpreting the law.

Oladejo noted that while court decisions may upset political actors, they remain binding in a constitutional democracy.

“A Supreme Court judgment is the highest expression of constitutional authority. It is neither a military fiat nor an executive directive,” he said, adding that equating a judicial ruling with military rule amounts to deliberate misinformation.

He also defended President Tinubu’s democratic credentials, describing him as a longtime opponent of military dictatorship and a key figure in Nigeria’s return to civil rule.

“The claim that such a leader would now govern by military proxy is absurd and insulting,” Oladejo stated.

The APC accused the opposition of attempting to delegitimise the judiciary whenever court rulings do not align with their political expectations, warning that such rhetoric poses a danger to Nigeria’s democracy.

Oladejo further emphasised that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy, with the military firmly under civilian control as provided by the Constitution.

The Lagos APC called on Nigerians to reject what it described as alarmist opposition narratives, stressing that Supreme Court verdicts strengthen democracy rather than undermine it.

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