The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has responded strongly to claims from the Presidency that opposition parties are planning to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, insisting that any change in leadership will come through elections, not violence.
The party made this clear in a statement on Wednesday, following a tweet by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, who accused the opposition of plotting to remove the President by force.
ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described Onanuga’s comment as “reckless” and “baseless,” warning that it could be a ploy to crack down on political opposition.
“The ADC is not planning to overthrow the government,” Abdullahi said. “We are not soldiers. We are politicians. We don’t have bullets—we only have the ballots.”
He said the party is focused on using democratic means to defeat Tinubu at the polls and present Nigerians with a better alternative.
“This statement from the Presidency seems to be laying the groundwork for the intimidation of opposition leaders,” Abdullahi warned.
He further stated that the ADC is committed to saving Nigeria from what it described as the “incompetence” of the current administration and will do so through lawful political engagement, not by force.
The ADC is one of several opposition parties critical of the Tinubu administration’s handling of economic and security issues. The 2023 elections brought Tinubu into office amid strong challenges from other candidates, including those from the PDP and Labour Party.
As the country moves closer to the 2027 elections, political tension appears to be building, with opposition parties positioning themselves as credible alternatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).