Lagos APC Rejects Kenneth Okonkwo’s Claim, Calls Suggestion of Military Rule ‘Reckless’

Story: written by Daniel December 17,2025
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned comments attributed to African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, who suggested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could now “rule Nigeria with the military” following a Supreme Court verdict on Rivers State emergency rule.

Describing the remarks as “reckless and misleading,” the party said they are not only false but also “intellectually dishonest,” stressing that Supreme Court judgments are legal rulings, not military decrees.

Mogaji Seye Oladejo, spokesman for Lagos APC, explained that the Supreme Court did not suspend democracy in Rivers State, but merely interpreted the law within the framework of the Nigerian Constitution.

“In a constitutional democracy, court rulings may disappoint political actors, but they are binding on all. A Supreme Court judgment is the highest expression of constitutional authority. It is neither a military fiat nor an executive directive. To conflate a judicial verdict with military rule shows either a misunderstanding of democracy or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public,” Oladejo said in a statement.

He added that President Tinubu has not sought or exercised any extra-constitutional powers. “His democratic credentials are solid. He opposed military dictatorships, suffered repression, and contributed to the restoration of civil rule. The idea that he would now govern through military means is both absurd and insulting,” Oladejo noted.

The spokesman also criticized opposition reactions to court decisions, arguing that attempts to delegitimise judicial verdicts and spread fear undermine Nigeria’s democracy. He described such rhetoric as a dangerous trend that threatens the country’s constitutional framework.

Oladejo reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy, with civilian control over the military, and that no actions or policies under President Tinubu suggest otherwise.

The Lagos APC urged all Nigerians, democrats, and patriots to reject what it described as “a new low” from the opposition. “Supreme Court decisions are instruments of justice that strengthen democracy—they do not threaten it,” he concluded.