The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to openly address Nigerians on the alleged coup plot currently making headlines, warning against using the situation as a political tool to intimidate opposition figures.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday, the ADC said while it takes any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order seriously, the federal government must not exploit the development to justify surveillance, harassment, or political persecution.
“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,” the statement read.
The opposition party expressed concern over reports linking some detained military officers to a purported coup plot and claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for allegedly funding the suspects.
The ADC also faulted what it described as “conflicting signals” from government sources, noting that while media reports linked the military to a coup investigation, the Defence Headquarters had denied ever confirming such a plot.
“Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” the party said.
The party criticised the government’s silence on the issue, describing it as a calculated attempt to allow the story to fester and potentially divert attention from pressing governance challenges.
“What is clear, however, is that the government is using the coup story to distract from pressing national challenges and create a pretext to clamp down on opposition figures or place them under surveillance,” the ADC alleged.
Abdullahi urged the federal government to “decisively quash the swirling rumour” or brief the nation if there is indeed any credible threat to national security. “The government must be transparent and accountable to the people,” he stated.
Reaffirming its commitment to democracy, the ADC warned that national security should never be weaponised for political gain.
“We support any lawful measures taken to defend the constitution and democracy, but we reject any ploy to intimidate citizens under the guise of national security,” the statement added.
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