The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to immediately clarify the true nature of an alleged coup plot involving arrested military officers.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party emphasised that it takes any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order with the utmost seriousness.

The ADC said it has been closely monitoring reports linking some arrested military officers to the purported coup, alongside media claims that a former southern governor is under investigation for allegedly financing the suspects.

While firmly opposing any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order, the party expressed concern about the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public opinion.

“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 said.

The party also voiced worry over “conflicting signals” from government sources, noting that the Defence Headquarters publicly denied ever referencing a coup plot despite widespread media reports to the contrary. “Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” it added.

The ADC criticised the government’s silence on the issue, describing it as a deliberate strategy to let the story fester unchecked.

It further alleged that the administration may be using the narrative to divert attention from ongoing governance failures and garner public sympathy.

“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 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 urged the Federal Government to promptly clarify the facts surrounding the alleged coup plot. The party emphasized that the government has a responsibility to decisively dispel the rumors circulating among the public.

However, if a genuine threat to national security exists, the ADC insists that the government must be transparent and provide the nation with a full briefing, warning against the misuse of national security concerns as a tool to silence opposition voices and suppress 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 defense 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,” the party added.

Alleged coup

Over the weekend, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) described as misleading a report by an online publication insinuating that the cancellation of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary was linked to an alleged attempted military coup.

The report claimed that 16 military officers, ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General, were taken into custody by the Defence Intelligence Agency over alleged involvement in covert meetings to plan a coup against the government.

In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, on Saturday in Abuja, the Armed Forces of Nigeria categorically stated that the claims made by the publication were entirely false, malicious, and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.

The statement clarified that the decision to cancel the 65th Independence Anniversary parade was made to allow President Bola Tinubu to attend a strategic bilateral meeting outside the country, and to enable members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to sustain momentum in the ongoing fight against terrorism, insurgency, and banditry.

The DHQ further reassured Nigerians that the ongoing investigation involving the sixteen officers is a routine internal process aimed at ensuring discipline and professionalism within the military ranks.

It added that an investigative panel has been duly constituted and that its findings will be made public upon conclusion.