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By Myke Agunwa
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “come clean” with Nigerians on the real reasons behind the sudden changes in the Service Chiefs to douse widespread speculation of a possible coup attempt.
Pointblanknews.com reported that President Tinubu on Friday announced major changes in the hierarchy of the Armed Forces. The reshuffle came just days after widespread rumours of an attempted coup circulated across social media, prompting swift denials from the Presidency and the Defence Headquarters.
The government had described the reports as “baseless and mischievous,” insisting that the nation’s security remained intact. However, the abrupt dismissal of top military commanders has since reignited public debate on whether deeper issues of loyalty, internal dissent, or political pressure may have influenced the decision.
But in a statement on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the President reserves the constitutional power to appoint or sack Service Chiefs, the abrupt nature of the latest reshuffle raises serious questions, especially coming amid “dangerous rumours of an attempted coup.”
The ADC accused the Federal Government of handling the matter with “deliberate obfuscation and outright confusion” instead of offering Nigerians clarity and reassurance about the true situation within the military.
“It is noteworthy that nearly all the Service Chiefs that have now been removed were appointed only 28 months ago, with the current Chief of Defence Staff himself appointed barely a year ago as Chief of Army Staff,” the statement noted.
The party argued that such a drastic decision could not have been made without “strong underlying reasons,” stressing that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a “categorical explanation” to douse public anxiety.
The ADC also linked the development to what it described as the Tinubu administration’s growing distraction from national security matters. “Insecurity continues to spread with terrorist groups staging a comeback in some parts of the country, while bandits reign supreme in others. Yet, this is not the reason the government is changing the Service Chiefs. Instead, the administration’s attention appears fully focused on regime politics rather than securing the lives of Nigerians,” the party said.
The ADC warned that the near-wholesale overhaul of the military leadership could worsen instability and “further promote rumours and conspiracy theories,” urging the Federal Government to be transparent and reassure citizens that Nigeria’s democracy is not under threat.