The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned the Federal Government against using the recent news of an alleged coup attempt to clamp down on opposition leaders.
ADC, in a statement by the interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed concern “At unattributed media reports purportedly implicating unnamed politicians in the alleged plot.”
The party feared that this might provide a pretext for the government to clamp down on opposition figures or mount undue surveillance on them.
“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,” ADC stated.
The party wondered why the Federal Government had not deemed it fit to make a categorical statement on the alleged attempt at leadership change, 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,” the party said.
ADC stated that while it vehemently opposes any effort to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order, it is equally concerned about “the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public sentiment.”
The party alleged that the government is exploiting the coup story to divert attention from the real issues of misgovernance in the country and to curry 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,” it stated.
The ADC called on the Federal Government to immediately clarify the true nature of the alleged coup, and “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 party said it is resolute in its opposition to the dictatorship of any form, whether military or civilian.
“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,” ADC added.
