ADC accuses Tinubu of using security scare to justify crackdown on opposition

 The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised alarm over what it describes as a deliberate ploy by the Bola Tinubu-led administration to fabricate a national security crisis as a pretext for clamping down on opposition parties and dissenting voices in Nigeria.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the ADC condemned recent remarks by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, accusing him of making inflammatory claims that could be used to justify state repression. The party described Onanuga’s comments as “defamatory, dangerous, and deeply irresponsible.”

Onanuga, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), had alleged that some unnamed political actors were “banding together to overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative in our history.”

The ADC dismissed the statement as baseless and provocative, calling it a “textbook example of a political dog whistle.”

“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,” said Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s interim National Publicity Secretary.

The party reiterated its commitment to peaceful democratic engagement, categorically rejecting any suggestions of involvement in anti-government conspiracies.

“The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy,” Abdullahi said. “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.”

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Abdullahi also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of political hypocrisy, recalling the party’s roots as a vocal opposition movement before it assumed power in 2015.

“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,” he remarked.

The ADC called on President Tinubu to rein in his aides and stop the use of inflammatory rhetoric that could endanger democratic norms.

“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 said.

The statement warned of a shrinking democratic space and an emerging trend of authoritarianism, driven by a government increasingly intolerant of criticism.

“The health of our democracy depends on a free, open, and competitive political environment. What we are seeing is a dangerous drift toward authoritarianism,” the ADC cautioned.

The party concluded by urging Nigerian citizens to remain vigilant and called on the international community to monitor developments in Nigeria closely.

“We appeal to the international community, including democratic governments, human rights organisations, and election observers, to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for any actions that undermine democratic freedoms or violate the political rights of Nigerian citizens,” the ADC stated.