ADC Urges Tinubu’s Government to Address Nigerians Over Alleged Coup Plot

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to speak directly to Nigerians about the alleged coup plot that has dominated national discourse, warning against turning the issue into a political weapon to silence opposition voices.

In a statement released on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said while it fully supports efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy, it is equally concerned about the possible misuse of the situation to justify political witch-hunts, harassment, or mass surveillance.

“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 ADC expressed worry over reports linking detained military officers to an alleged coup plot and claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for allegedly financing the suspects.

It criticised what it described as “conflicting signals” from government quarters — noting that while media reports suggested a military probe into the coup, the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied confirming such a plot.

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

According to the ADC, the government’s silence and lack of clarity on the matter appear to be a deliberate tactic to allow the rumours to spread and distract the public from urgent 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 statement alleged.

The opposition party urged the federal government to “decisively quash the swirling rumour” or brief the nation if there is any credible security threat.

“The government must be transparent and accountable to the people,” Abdullahi stressed.

Reaffirming its commitment to democracy, the ADC warned against the politicisation of national security, insisting that legitimate defense of the constitution should not come at the expense of citizens’ rights or political freedom.

“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 concluded.

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