ADC Questions Tinubu’s Authority, Demands Probe Over Alleged Appointment Crisis

Nigeria’s opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of losing control over key government appointments, urging the National Assembly to determine whether the President is still fully exercising the constitutional powers of his office.

The party raised the concerns in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, citing what it described as an “appointment fiasco” involving the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA). According to the ADC, reports that an official allegedly removed by presidential directive remains in office raise serious questions about who is truly making decisions within the Presidency.

The opposition argued that if the reports are accurate, the issue goes beyond a disputed appointment and points to a deeper governance problem. It questioned how a presidential directive could allegedly be ignored while the affected official reportedly continued to function and hold meetings with senior government officials.

The ADC also linked the controversy to the earlier case involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which it described as a non-existent government agency that allegedly operated as though it were an official arm of the Presidency. The party claimed the matter only gained attention after allegations surfaced involving the agency’s purported Director-General and the President’s Chief of Staff.

According to the party, both incidents suggest a troubling pattern in which the Presidency is no longer seen as having exclusive control over the appointment and removal of public officials. It argued that Nigerians are increasingly uncertain whether presidential announcements carry final authority or can be overridden by unnamed interests.

The ADC further criticised what it described as repeated policy reversals under the Tinubu administration. It pointed to the suspension of the Cybersecurity Levy, the withdrawal of the Expatriate Employment Levy and other changes in government policies, saying such developments have created uncertainty for investors, civil servants and the general public.

The party maintained that frequent changes in government decisions weaken confidence in public institutions and blur the lines of executive authority. It warned that when government directives appear inconsistent, institutions may begin to question whether official decisions will remain in force.

Calling for greater accountability, the ADC urged the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the BCDA controversy and answer what it described as constitutional questions about who authorises appointments and whether presidential directives are being implemented as issued.