By Charles Pemu 
Political stakeholders across the spectrum have reacted strongly to reports of an alleged failed military coup, unanimously demanding immediate and full transparency from the Federal Government and the military authorities regarding the issue. Concurrently, the prominent pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, issued a severe warning against any attempt to derail Nigeria’s hard-won democratic process.
Opposition Questions Military Narrative
The collective opposition called on the government to “come clean” and publish the full facts surrounding the detention of sixteen military officers, whom the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) officially attributed to “routine internal process” for indiscipline.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, insisted that Nigerians deserved to know the full truth about the alleged plot and the specific nature of the charges against the detained officers. He argued that due process requires the public disclosure of whether the officers were facing a court-martial.
Similarly, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Tony Akeni, expressed concern that the military was “speaking with two mouths,” noting a worrying discrepancy between the official explanation of disciplinary measures and unconfirmed sources hinting at a more severe issue. He appealed to the military to be courageous and publicise the actual facts.
Adding to the call for clarity, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, suggested the coup rumours may have been fueled by public discontent over the government’s performance, stressing the importance of verifying the authenticity of the story to prevent further political mischief.
Afenifere Warns Against ‘Calamitous Mission’
Weighing in on the national debate, Afenifere issued a strong, unequivocal condemnation of any coup plot, warning that a military takeover would “spell doom for the country.”
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, stated emphatically that any coup would set Nigeria back by decades, insisting that military rule was not the solution to the nation’s current challenges. He commended the military’s declared commitment to democracy but issued a stark warning to ambitious officers to “resign honourably” and seek their political aspirations through the ballot box.
In a separate statement, the organisation’s National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, condemned all plots to overthrow the government, reaffirming Afenifere’s unwavering faith in constitutional governance as the only legitimate path to reform. Omololu warned that deploying arms against the Republic is an act of treason, reminding all Nigerians that the nation still bears the scars of past military interventions, which brought institutional collapse and economic retrogression. He concluded that the Nigerian state must “never again be held hostage by the gun.”