He has lost control, has to resign – ADC ask NASS to probe Tinubu’s fitness

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the National Assembly to investigate whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fit to discharge the responsibilities of his office, citing controversies surrounding appointments and leadership changes in some federal agencies.

The opposition party alleged that the reported leadership dispute at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) suggested the President had lost control of his administration.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the controversy raised serious questions about whether presidential directives on appointments and removals were still being obeyed.

The party also referenced the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as well as a series of Federal Government policy reversals, as evidence of what it described as growing confusion within the Presidency.

According to the ADC, reports that an official publicly removed from office by presidential directive continued to occupy the position and hold meetings with senior government officials raised constitutional concerns beyond a mere appointment dispute.

“The African Democratic Congress is deeply alarmed by yet another bizarre episode in the affairs of the Federal Government, where a man publicly removed from office by presidential directive reportedly continues to occupy that same office and still hold meetings with senior officials of the same government,” the statement read.

The party argued that if the reports concerning the BCDA were accurate, the issue had become one of executive authority.

“If the reports concerning the Border Communities Development Agency 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?” the party asked.

The ADC said the BCDA controversy should not be viewed in isolation, recalling the earlier controversy involving the purported PFIPC, which it described as a “phantom” agency that allegedly operated as though it were an official arm of the Federal Government.

According to the party, the matter only gained serious attention after allegations linked the self-styled head of the council to senior officials within the Presidency.

The party said the incidents had created uncertainty over whether presidential appointments and dismissals were truly final.

“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,” it stated.

The ADC further alleged that unelected individuals and competing interests had begun exercising influence over the President’s constitutional powers to appoint and remove public officials.

“Effectively, the Tinubu administration has become a place where official announcements compete with unofficial power, where competing interests fight over appointments and patronage,” the statement added.

The opposition party also criticised what it described as repeated policy reversals by the Tinubu administration, citing the suspension of the cybersecurity levy following public criticism and the withdrawal of the expatriate employment levy after objections from investors.

According to the ADC, the frequent reversals had weakened public confidence in government decisions.

“A government that cannot consistently stand by its own decisions gradually loses not only credibility, but authority,” the party stated.

The ADC argued that such uncertainty could discourage investors, confuse public servants and weaken confidence in official directives.

The party therefore urged the National Assembly to exercise its oversight powers by determining whether the President remained capable of carrying out his constitutional responsibilities and whether executive powers were still being exercised solely by him.

It called on lawmakers to establish who authorised appointments, whether the President’s directive regarding the BCDA had been countermanded, and how the disputed PFIPC was allowed to present itself as a government agency.

“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 statement said.

The ADC maintained that uncertainty over whether presidential directives remained binding reflected a serious crisis of authority within the Federal Government.

It added that if President Tinubu could no longer assert effective control over his administration, he should consider stepping down.

“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,” the statement concluded.

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