ADC: FG Using Coup Rumour to Intimidate Opposition, Distract Nigerians

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of exploiting reports of an alleged coup plot to divert public attention from governance failures and intimidate opposition figures.

The party’s National Spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, expressed concern over what he described as “conflicting signals” coming from government sources regarding the alleged coup attempt.

“We are particularly concerned about the conflicting signals coming from government sources, especially as the Defence Headquarters has publicly denied ever mentioning a coup plot, despite widespread media reports to the contrary,” Abdullahi said.

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

The ADC said the Federal Government’s silence and mixed messaging had allowed rumours of a coup to fester, warning that the situation could be used as a pretext for a political clampdown.

“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,” Abdullahi alleged.

“Subsequent unattributed media reports purportedly implicating unnamed politicians in the so-called plot now provide a pretext for the government to clamp down on opposition figures or mount undue surveillance on them.”

The party maintained that while it opposed any unconstitutional change of government, it viewed the government’s handling of the situation as deeply troubling.

The ADC urged the government to issue a clear, categorical statement to dispel speculation and reaffirm its commitment to democratic transparency.

“Government must desist from weaponising national security as a pretext to silence opposition and political dissent,” the statement read.

The party further called for restraint and openness, insisting that democracy thrives only when citizens and opposition groups are free to express themselves without fear.

Reacting, the Federal Government dismissed the ADC’s claims and reaffirmed its confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing the coup reports as false and mischievous.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told The PUNCH in an interview on Sunday that the government had no reason to doubt the military’s explanation.

“The Federal Government has no reason to doubt the military on what it has said,” Idris stated.

“The Federal Government believes that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is committed to ensuring the territorial integrity of the country and also strengthening its fight against insecurity.”

On Saturday, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, dismissed an online publication alleging that 16 detained military officers were linked to a failed coup attempt.

He described the report as “false, malicious, and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

Gusau clarified that the cancellation of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary was a “purely administrative decision”, allowing President Bola Tinubu to attend an international bilateral meeting and for troops to sustain anti-insurgency operations.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains fully loyal to the Constitution and the Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “Democracy is forever.”

Gusau explained that the detained officers were undergoing a routine internal investigation related to disciplinary breaches, not political subversion, and assured that a panel of inquiry had been constituted to make its findings public.