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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over what it calls the “political weaponisation” of a phantom coup plot, warning that the Tinubu administration may be exploiting the controversy to intimidate the opposition and distract Nigerians from deepening misgovernance.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the Federal Government of “allowing a dangerous rumour to fester” after the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) flatly denied ever mentioning a coup attempt — despite viral reports linking some arrested officers and a former southern governor to an alleged plot.

“The conflicting signals from government quarters are too suspicious to ignore,” the ADC declared. “If the military has denied any coup attempt, why is the government silent? That silence suggests deliberate manipulation — a calculated attempt to create fear, stoke sympathy, and justify a clampdown on dissenting voices.”

According to the party, the refusal of the government to issue a categorical clarification has only deepened public anxiety and fuelled suspicions that the coup narrative is a “manufactured crisis” designed to shift attention from the failures of governance.

“What is clear,” the statement continued, “is that this administration is desperate. It is weaponising national security to silence critics, surveil opposition figures, and crush legitimate dissent. That is the very definition of civilian dictatorship.”

The ADC said it “vehemently opposes” any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order — whether by military adventurists or a civilian government sliding into authoritarianism — but insisted that transparency and accountability must remain non-negotiable.

“Government has a duty to decisively quash this rumour,” Abdullahi stated. “And if there truly was a security threat, Nigerians deserve to know the truth. What must not happen is the use of false alarms to justify political persecution.”

Reaffirming its commitment to democracy, the ADC warned that “dictatorship, whether in khaki or agbada, has no place in modern Nigeria,” and called on citizens to remain vigilant against “the creeping tyranny of fear and propaganda.”

Read full text of the ADC statement

The ADC has been closely monitoring the reports of an alleged coup plot involving arrested military officers and subsequent media claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for allegedly funding the suspects. 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.

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

The ADC is particularly concerned that the federal government has not deemed it fit to make a categorical statement on this very serious matter, especially after the military authorities had repeatedly denied that there was such a threat to the government. By keeping quiet, the government has deliberately allowed the coup story to fester for whatever reason.

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. Even more significantly, 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.

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 ADC therefore calls on the federal government to immediately clarify the true nature of the alleged coup. Government has a duty to decisively quash the swirling rumour. Conversely, if indeed there has been any such threat to national security, the government has a duty to be transparent about it and brief the nation accordingly. Government must desist from weaponising national security as a pretext to silence opposition and political dissent.

The ADC is resolute in its opposition to dictatorship of any form, whether military dictatorship or its civilian variant. We therefore support any legitimate action that may be taken in defence of our constitution and our democracy. In the same vein, we oppose any ploy by the government to intimidate legitimate voices under the guise of national security.