Presidency Defends Tinubu, Dismisses ADC’s Criticism over National Convention Remarks

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Presidency yesterday defended President Bola Tinubu following criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over his remarks about the party’s recent national convention.

Reacting to Tinubu’s alleged comments about the recent national convention of the ADC held at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, the ADC’s National Legislators Serving and Former Forum had accused the President of making comments capable of undermining Nigeria’s democracy.

The ADC forum, led by former House of Representatives member, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje, had accused Tinubu’s administration of shrinking political space.

The group also referenced Tinubu’s past as an opposition leader who once advocated political pluralism and judicial independence, describing his current leadership posture as being inconsistent with those democratic values.

But in a statement shared yesterday on X, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, accused the forum of deliberately twisting President Tinubu’s remarks for political advantage.

Dare dismissed the allegations, describing the opposition group as “Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists,” and a party struggling to maintain “coherence and balance.”

He insisted that the ADC was suffering from “internal disarray”.

Dare’s statement was titled “What’s That Noise! Response to Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and the ADC Forum of National Legislators- Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists.”

According to Dare, the President did not specifically mention the ADC when he referred to a political gathering as “noise” and a “street convention.”

He argued that the ADC’s decision to interpret the statement as a direct attack was misplaced.

Dare insisted that the President’s comments were general in nature and consistent with his usual style of political commentary.

Dare further described the opposition coalition as a hurriedly assembled platform seeking relevance ahead of the next election cycle.

He also rejected claims that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat, maintaining that democratic institutions remain strong and fully functional.

Addressing concerns about judicial independence, Dare said the judiciary remains constitutionally autonomous and should not be dragged into partisan politics.

He warned against attempts to undermine public confidence in the courts through what he called baseless accusations.

“Even before the official commencement of the election season and before the polls open, the “opposition”, a hurriedly stitched together contraption in search of a launch pad, are screaming blue murder.

“The script is familiar: attack and blackmail the President, discredit and second guess the electoral process and hold Press briefings to flaunt unsubstantiated allegations and lies against the administration.

 “All of these so that the international community will “help” them. In Honourable Nnenna, the ADC legislators found someone fit for the role. As former chair, foreign affairs committee, 7th and 8th House of Representatives she was their best voice.

“Sadly, ADC will need more than the sophistry and phonetics in her delivery. Let’s begin to tear apart her claims and that of her ADC Forum. The so-called ADC National Legislators Coalition delivered an outing remarkably full of theatrics but expectedly short on substance, restraint, and constitutional fidelity.”

Dare added: “In their own words, they painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—his historic role in strengthening opposition politics, expanding democratic space, defending pluralism, and standing firm even under military and authoritarian pressures.

 “They reminded Nigerians that he mobilized resistance, nurtured political contestation, and remained a central pillar in sustaining democratic governance.

 “On that point, they were correct and that is because they could not change that solid democratic foundation and narrative of President Bola Tinubu. Let’s give them some acknowledgement for stating it plainly. But having established those facts, they took a curious turn—attempting, without evidence, to portray the very same individual as a threat to the democratic values he has consistently upheld.

“That contradiction is not just weak—it is intellectually untenable. A leader’s record is not a switch that flips overnight. The same discipline, convictions, and democratic instincts that defined President Tinubu’s political journey have not suddenly evaporated.

“You cannot spend the first half of a press conference affirming a man’s lifelong commitment to democracy, and the second half alleging—without proof—that he has abandoned it. It simply does not hold.

“On the specific issue that triggered this reaction: the President did not mention the ADC—by name or by implication. His remarks were general, as is consistent with his style as a national leader addressing a broad audience.”

Dare noted that the decision by the ADC to assume those remarks were directed at them was, at best, an exercise in self-indictment.