Abuja — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the Federal Government against using reports of an alleged coup plot as a pretext to clamp down on opposition leaders or engage in extra-judicial surveillance of dissenting voices.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed concern over what it described as “conflicting signals” from government and security agencies regarding the alleged coup, warning that the situation could be exploited to intimidate critics and weaken democratic freedoms.
“The ADC views any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order with utmost seriousness,” the statement read. “However, the Federal Government must not exploit this moment to instil fear, silence dissenting voices, or engineer political advantage under the guise of national security.”
The party said it has been monitoring reports of the alleged coup plot involving arrested military officers and claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for funding the suspects. While reaffirming its opposition to any unconstitutional change of government, the ADC expressed equal concern about “the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts or manipulate public sentiment.”
The ADC also faulted the government’s silence on the issue, describing it as suspicious and damaging. “The Federal Government has not deemed it fit to make a categorical statement on this very serious matter, especially after the Defence Headquarters publicly denied ever mentioning a coup plot,” the party noted. “By keeping quiet, the government has deliberately allowed the coup story to fester.”
According to the ADC, the narrative surrounding the alleged coup appears politically motivated. “What is clear, however, is that the government is exploiting the coup story to divert attention from the real issues of misgovernance in the country and to curry sympathy,” the statement said. “Unattributed media reports implicating unnamed politicians now provide a pretext for the government to clamp down on opposition figures or mount undue surveillance on them.”
The party urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to clarify the true situation immediately. “If indeed there has been any such threat to national security, the government has a duty to be transparent about it and brief the nation accordingly,” Abdullahi said. “Government must desist from weaponising national security as a pretext to silence opposition and political dissent.”
Reiterating its commitment to democracy, the ADC said it “opposes dictatorship in any form—whether military or civilian.” The statement concluded: “We support any legitimate action taken in defence of our constitution, but we will resist any ploy by the government to intimidate legitimate voices under the guise of national security.”
The party’s comments come amid rising political tension following reports of multiple arrests of military officers and speculation about possible political involvement, even as the Defence Headquarters recently denied any coup threat.
