The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address Nigerians transparently regarding the alleged coup plot currently making headlines, cautioning against using the situation to intimidate opposition figures.
In a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC emphasized that while any threat to Nigeria’s democracy must be taken seriously, the federal government should not exploit the allegations 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,” Abdullahi said.
The opposition party expressed concern over reports linking some detained military officers to a purported coup plot, as well as claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for allegedly funding the suspects.
The ADC also criticised what it described as “conflicting signals” from government sources. While media reports suggested a military-led coup investigation, the Defence Headquarters denied ever confirming such a plot.
“Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” the statement said.
The party accused the government of remaining silent to allow the story to fester, potentially diverting attention from pressing national issues. “What is clear, however, is that the government is using the coup story to distract from national challenges and create a pretext to clamp down on opposition figures,” the ADC alleged.
Abdullahi urged the federal government to either decisively quash the rumour or brief the nation if there is indeed a credible security threat. “The government must be transparent and accountable to the people,” he stated.
Reaffirming its commitment to democracy, the ADC stressed that national security should never be weaponised for political gain. “We support lawful measures to defend the constitution and democracy, but we reject any ploy to intimidate citizens under the guise of national security,” the party added.
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