LAGOS EYE NEWS – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to remove the nation’s service chiefs, insisting that insecurity was not the real reason behind the shake-up in the military hierarchy.

In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said Nigerians deserve full transparency from the Presidency, especially given the timing of the move, which coincides with widespread rumours of an attempted coup.

While acknowledging that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, has the constitutional authority to appoint or replace service chiefs, the ADC stressed that the abrupt decision, coming shortly after the Defence Headquarters dismissed reports of a coup attempt, required clear and honest communication from government.

“We acknowledge that the President reserves the power to make such changes as he may deem fit. However, we are somewhat concerned that this change is coming in the wake of widespread rumours of an attempted coup,” Abdullahi stated.

The opposition party criticised what it described as the government’s “confusing and evasive” response to the situation, saying its handling had only fuelled uncertainty and speculation among citizens.

“The reactions of government to the dangerous rumour have veered between deliberate obfuscation and outright confusion in a matter that required crystal clarity,” the party said.

According to the ADC, several of the affected service chiefs were only appointed about 28 months ago, with the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff having served as Chief of Army Staff for just a year. The party argued that such sweeping changes in the military could only stem from deep-seated issues within the administration.

“This kind of decision has serious and far-reaching implications for stability within the ranks and therefore could not have been taken without strong reasons,” it added.

The ADC maintained that its concern stemmed from a commitment to national stability and democratic integrity, particularly amid ongoing political tensions in neighbouring countries like Chad and across the Sahel region.

“As an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In light of developments in our neighbourhood, we are gravely concerned,” the statement noted.

The party further criticised the Tinubu administration for focusing more on “regime politics” than addressing the worsening insecurity across the nation.

“Insecurity continues to spread, with terrorist groups staging a comeback in some parts of the country while bandits reign supreme in others. But 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,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC warned that the sudden changes could heighten public anxiety and promote conspiracy theories rather than restore confidence in national security.

“This action, if anything, will only further promote rumours and conspiracy theories,” it said.

Reiterating its demand for transparency, the party urged the Federal Government to clearly explain the rationale behind the changes and reassure Nigerians that the nation’s democracy remains stable.

“We therefore reiterate our earlier position that the Federal Government must address the issue transparently and reassure Nigerians that our democracy is not under threat,” the statement concluded.