The Federal Government has dismissed reports of an alleged failed coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, expressing full confidence in the Nigerian military and reaffirming its loyalty to democratic governance.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with Hobnob News on Sunday, said the government had no reason to doubt the Defence Headquarters’ position that the alleged coup story was fabricated.
“The Federal Government believes in the Armed Forces of Nigeria and commends their commitment to the country’s territorial integrity and the fight against insecurity,” Idris stated.
The Defence Headquarters, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, had strongly denied a report published by Sahara Reporters alleging that 16 military officers were arrested in connection with a failed coup.
Gusau described the report as “false, malicious, and designed to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among Nigerians,” adding that the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebration was purely administrative.
According to him, the decision was taken to allow President Tinubu to attend a crucial bilateral meeting abroad and enable troops to sustain ongoing counterterrorism and anti-banditry operations.
“The ongoing investigation involving the 16 officers is a routine internal process aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism within the ranks. An investigative panel has been constituted, and its findings will be made public,” Gusau explained, reaffirming that “Democracy is forever.”
However, opposition parties have called for greater transparency on the matter, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know the full truth about the situation.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, told Hobnob News that the military must clarify whether the detained officers were facing a court-martial or routine disciplinary proceedings.
“We need to know what actually happened. Nigerians deserve transparency,” Johnson said.
Similarly, Labour Party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, expressed concern over “mixed signals” coming from the military, urging them to “speak with one voice” and present verified facts to the public.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, also called for calm, warning against political manipulation of the situation. He said, “People are frustrated, and that’s why rumours spread easily. But before drawing conclusions, we must verify the facts.”
Meanwhile, pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has warned against any attempt to destabilize Nigeria’s democracy, describing a coup as a “disaster the nation cannot afford.”
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, told Hobnob News in Ibadan that any unconstitutional change of government would set Nigeria back by decades.
“The current administration is working to re-engineer the nation. No matter the challenges, military rule is not the solution,” Ajayi said, adding that past coups only worsened corruption and instability.
In a separate statement, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, condemned any form of coup plotting, saying it would be a “direct assault on Nigeria’s sovereignty.”
Omololu praised the Defence Headquarters and patriotic officers for their loyalty, stating, “The surest route to national progress is through constitutional governance, not the barrel of a gun.”
He urged any officer with political ambitions to resign and “test their popularity at the ballot box,” warning that “to deploy arms against the Republic is not patriotism but treason.”
Omololu added, “From 1966 to 1979, every coup was justified under the guise of fighting corruption, yet corruption persisted. Let that history serve as a warning, not a temptation.”
