The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the All Progressives Congress-led federal government of plotting to suppress legitimate opposition under the guise of national security, following recent claims by a presidential aide.
In a strong statement issued on Wednesday, the party stated that it had no intention of undermining democracy and is simply focused on rescuing Nigeria from what it described as President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s “irredeemable incompetence”.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s interim National Publicity Secretary, raised alarm about the APC’s growing animosity towards dissenting voices and questioned the ruling party’s apparent uneasiness with opposition politics.
His remarks came after President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that certain political figures were “banding together to overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative in our history.”
In its reaction, the ADC dismissed Onanuga’s post as “irresponsible and defamatory”, warning that such rhetoric could be used as a pretext for a wider clampdown on opposition leaders and voices critical of the government.
“Bayo Onanuga’s tweet is a textbook example of a political dog whistle,” the ADC stated. “The APC-led Federal Government appears to be constructing a false narrative designed to justify a potential crackdown on dissent and to criminalise legitimate opposition activities under the guise of protecting national security.”
Emphasising its democratic credentials, the party said, “The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy.
“We are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government. And the only means available to us is the democratic means.
“We are not soldiers; we are politicians. We don’t have bullets—only ballots. When the time comes, we will present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice.”
Abdullahi also accused the APC of forgetting its roots as a former opposition party, saying, “It is a great wonder that the same party, which came to power as an opposition force, now appears to find the idea of opposition unacceptable.”
The ADC urged Tinubu to rein in his advisors, particularly those making “baseless but dangerous allegations that risk heating the polity two years before the next general election.”
“This manner of crying wolf where there is none does not make the president look good and only betrays a sense of panic,” the party added.
The ADC urged residents to remain vigilant, warning of clandestine measures to delegitimise the opposition and reduce democratic spaces.
“The health of our democracy depends on a free, open, and competitive political environment,” it noted.
The coalition also appealed to the international community, including democratic governments, human rights organisations, and election observers, to closely monitor the political climate in Nigeria.
“We call on them to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for any actions that undermine democratic freedoms or violate the political rights of Nigerian citizens.
“The ADC remains committed to building a better Nigeria—through peace, participation, and the power of the people,” he said.
