The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned the Federal Government against using the recent reports of an alleged coup plot as a pretext to clamp down on opposition leaders or spy on voices critical of the administration.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said while it condemns any move to undermine Nigeria’s democratic order, the government must not weaponise national security to silence dissent or score political advantage.
“We vehemently oppose any effort to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order,” the statement read. “However, we are equally concerned about the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public sentiment.” 
The party expressed worry over what it described as conflicting signals from government sources, noting that the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied mentioning any coup plot, despite widespread media reports suggesting otherwise.
“Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” the ADC said.
The statement accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of exploiting the coup story to divert attention from the nation’s deepening governance and economic crises, while deliberately allowing the rumour to “fester” to generate public sympathy.
“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 party cautioned.
The ADC therefore urged the government to come clean on the matter, insisting that if there is any genuine security threat, Nigerians deserve transparency and a formal briefing.
“Government must desist from weaponising national security as a pretext to silence opposition and political dissent,” Abdullahi said, reaffirming the ADC’s stance against both military and civilian dictatorship.
