Don’t hide under ‘coup plot’ to gag opposition, ADC tells FG

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned the Federal Government against exploiting recent reports of an alleged coup plot as an excuse to clamp down on opposition leaders or carry out unlawful surveillance on perceived critics of the administration.

In a statement issued by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, the party emphasized that while it takes any potential threat to Nigeria’s democratic order seriously, it will firmly resist any move by the government to use the situation as a political weapon.

The party said it had been monitoring developments surrounding the alleged coup involving some arrested military officers and media claims that a former southern governor was under investigation for allegedly funding the suspects. It, however, warned against using such allegations to justify political witch-hunts or manipulate public opinion.

“While we vehemently oppose any effort to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order, we are equally concerned about the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public sentiment,” Abdullahi stated.

The ADC expressed concern over conflicting statements from government sources, noting that the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied mentioning any coup plot despite widespread media reports.

“Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” the statement read.

The party faulted the Federal Government for failing to make a categorical statement on the issue, saying the silence of the authorities had allowed the story to fester and fuel suspicion.

According to the ADC, the government appears to be using the coup story to divert public attention from issues of misgovernance and to seek sympathy, adding that subsequent media reports implicating unnamed politicians could provide a pretext to target opposition figures.

“What is clear 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.

The ADC described the situation as a sign of desperation, warning that such tactics could endanger the nation’s democracy and erode citizens’ rights.

“We understand that the APC government is desperate. But such desperation must never be allowed to endanger our democracy or undermine the democratic rights of citizens,” the party warned.

The ADC urged the government to clarify the true nature of the alleged coup and either decisively dispel the rumour or be transparent about any real threat to national security. It also cautioned against weaponising national security to silence political opposition.

Reaffirming its commitment to Nigeria’s democratic order, the ADC said it would continue to resist any form of dictatorship, whether military or civilian.

“The ADC is resolute in its opposition to dictatorship in any form. We support any legitimate action taken to defend our constitution and democracy, but we reject any ploy by the government to intimidate legitimate voices under the guise of national security,” the statement concluded.