ADC Spokesperson Mentions 'Only Governor Tinubu Has the Power to Sack'

• ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi said 'The only governor that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the power to fire and hire is Yemi Cardoso"
• Abdullahi tackled President Tinubu, saying the Nigerian leader "does not have that power over a state governor"
• The ADC official said this following the recent reinstatement of Siminalayi Fubara as the governor of Rivers state, after being suspended for six months

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, election, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - Bolaji Abdullahi, national spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the only governor President Bola Tinubu has the power to sack.

In a tweet on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page, Abdullahi asserted that President Tinubu "does not have that power over a state governor".

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ADC's Abdullahi knocks Tinubu

Legit.ng reports that Abdullahi spoke against the backdrop of Tinubu’s statement announcing the lifting of the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Rivers' lawmakers.

The opposition figure insisted that the Nigerian leader's suspension of Fubara in March "was self-serving, unconstitutional, and will define President Tinubu’s political legacy."

He wrote:

"The only governor that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the power to fire and hire is Yemi Cardoso. He does not have that power over a State Governor.

"The cavalier manner in which President Tinubu suspended and subsequently reinstated the elected Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, is whimsically autocratic.

"President Tinubu must not be allowed to disguise political brinkmanship as statesmanship.

"The suspension of the Rivers Governor was self-serving, unconstitutional, and will define President Tinubu’s political legacy."

The president had suspended Fubara and lawmakers in Rivers parliament over a power tussle in the oil-rich state involving Nyesom Wike, the incumbent minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

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Breaking: Rivers Assembly set to resume sitting as Tinubu announces cessation of state of emergency

President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers citing potential crisis that could disrupt peace and public order.

Is ADC's Abdullahi's claim correct?

Legit.ng recalls that a precedent was set under the Goodluck Jonathan administration when the erstwhile CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi was suspended from office a few months before the completion of his tenure.

The suspension was highly contested and the national assembly was divided along partisan lines. While some said it was a violation of the autonomy of public institutions, others said a public servant can be fired by his principal.

This suspension led to his subsequent dismissal, and he was replaced by Godwin Emefiele.

While Jonathan’s precedent of dismissing a CBN governor stood, the reality is clear: a past fact-check by AFP stated that Nigeria’s president does not have the power to sack the CBN governor single-handedly. The president can only remove the CBN governor “provided that the removal of the Governor shall be supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed”.

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Atiku, Peter Obi speak out as Tinubu restores Fubara as Rivers governor

The CBN Act of 2007 clarifies that CBN governor can only be removed if (s)he is running for political office; appointed as a director of any bank; earns or criminal conviction, or "becomes of unsound mind or, owing to ill health, is incapable of carrying out his duties".

Wike reacts to Fubara's return

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Wike hailed President Tinubu for restoring democratic governance to Rivers by lifting the emergency rule imposed on the state and reinstating Governor Fubara.

The minister, who said the president has once again demonstrated his total commitment to peace and sustenance of democracy in the country, stated that the Nigerian leader's proactive action saved the state.

Wike called on all stakeholders in Rivers to work together in harmony in the collective interest of the state and its people.

Source: Legit.ng