The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of exploiting the recent coup plot allegations to muzzle opposition figures and suppress dissenting voices under the guise of safeguarding national security.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the government may be using the “so-called coup narrative” as a political weapon to intimidate critics and divert attention from mounting governance failures.

“The ADC has been monitoring the unfolding drama around the alleged coup plot and the purported arrest of some military officers, alongside claims that a former Southern governor is being investigated for financing them,” the statement read. “While we stand firmly against any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy, we are deeply troubled by how the government appears to be manipulating the situation to justify political persecution and clamp down on opposition voices.”

The party faulted the federal government’s silence on the matter despite conflicting accounts from military authorities and state actors, noting that the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied any knowledge of a coup attempt. “This inconsistency raises genuine fears that the story of a coup plot may have been politically engineered to serve ulterior motives,” the ADC warned.

According to the party, the government’s failure to issue a clear statement has only allowed “a dangerous narrative” to fester, fueling speculation that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be weaponising the story to manufacture public sympathy and distract citizens from pressing issues such as economic hardship, inflation, and insecurity.

“What is becoming obvious,” the ADC declared, “is that the government is using the coup story to mask its failures, stoke fear, and frame political opponents as enemies of the state. Such tactics are reminiscent of authoritarian regimes that manipulate national security to crush dissent.”

The statement further condemned what it described as “a creeping pattern of political intimidation” in which the government allegedly resorts to smear campaigns, illegal surveillance, and selective prosecutions to silence alternative voices.

“We understand the APC government is desperate,” the ADC added. “But that desperation must never be allowed to threaten our democracy or undermine citizens’ rights. Any move to turn Nigeria into a police state under the pretext of national security will be fiercely resisted.”

The party therefore demanded that the government come clean on the true nature of the alleged coup or stop using it as a political smokescreen. “If there truly exists a national security threat, Nigerians deserve full transparency. But if not, the government must desist from manufacturing crises to suppress legitimate opposition,” the statement concluded.

The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s democracy from both military and civilian forms of dictatorship, warning that “the right to dissent is not treason—it is democracy in action.”