By Abiola Olawale
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected allegations from the Presidency that opposition groups are plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu before the 2027 elections.
In a statement, the ADC stated that it is committed to removing Tinubu through democratic means, specifically the power of the ballot, rather than resorting to violence or undemocratic tactics.
The controversy erupted following a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, who stated that “haters of Nigeria’s progress” were conspiring to destabilize the administration.
Onanuga described Tinubu’s government as “the most focused and transformative in Nigeria’s history,” citing ongoing reforms and referencing a 2022 warning by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, that Tinubu’s policies would not be easy but were necessary for progress.
In response, ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described Onanuga’s remarks “reckless and malicious,” accusing the Tinubu administration of fabricating a narrative to justify a potential crackdown on opposition leaders.
The statement reads in part: “ADC condemned the tweet made by an aide of President Bola Tinubu, Onanuga, which alleges that the opposition is planning to overthrow the Tinubu government before 2027.
“If anything, it potentially lays the grounds for a systematic clampdown on opposition leaders.
“The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy, we are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government. We are not soldiers, we are politicians.
“We don’t have bullets; we only have the ballots. When the time comes, we will only present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice.”
