The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the federal government against using the reports of an alleged coup plot as a pretext to clamp down on opposition leaders or subject dissenting voices to unlawful surveillance.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it views any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order with the utmost seriousness.
However, it warned that the government must not exploit the situation to instil fear, suppress dissent, or seek political advantage under the guise of national security.
The ADC said it has been closely following reports linking some arrested military officers to a purported coup plot and subsequent media claims that a former southern governor is being investigated 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,” the statement said.
The party also expressed worry over “conflicting signals” from government sources, noting that the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied ever mentioning a coup plot despite widespread media reports suggesting otherwise. “Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” it added.