The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over what it describes as a deliberate attempt by the Bola Tinubu-led administration to lay the groundwork for a systematic clampdown on opposition leaders, following a controversial tweet by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the president, Bayo Onanuga.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday by the
Interim National Publicity Secretary and spokesperson of the opposition
coalition, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC condemned Onanuga’s remarks, describing
them as a “textbook example of a political dog whistle”.
The tweet in question accused opposition groups of plotting
to unseat President Tinubu.
“The haters of Nigeria’s progress are banding together to
overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative
in our history,” Onanuga posted on X referencing a prior statement made by Emir
Muhammadu Sanusi II on the painful but necessary reforms by the Tinubu
administration.
Reacting, the ADC said Onanuga’s claim was not just false
but appeared to be a step towards silencing dissent.
“The APC-led federal government appears to be constructing a
false narrative that is designed to justify potential clampdown on dissent, and
to criminalize legitimate opposition activity under the guise of national
security” the statement partly reads.
The ADC insisted that it remains committed to democratic
principles and has no intention of destabilizing the country.
“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. ”
The statement also questioned why the ruling party, which
once came to power through democratic opposition, now finds it difficult to
tolerate dissent.
“APC is the first opposition party to come to power in
Nigeria. It is therefore a great wonder that the same party now appears to find
it strange that there is an opposition at all,” it said.
Calling for restraint, the ADC urged President Tinubu to
rein in his aides and avoid inflammatory statements that could destabilize the
nation’s democracy.
It also appealed to the international community to monitor
the political climate and hold the administration accountable for any
violations of democratic norms.
“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 statement added.
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