The Presidency has fired back at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Legislators Coalition, branding them “Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists” in a scathing response to their recent press conference.
In a statement titled “What’s That Noise!” Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, accused the opposition group of manufacturing outrage ahead of the election season.
He dismissed their claims of democratic threats, judicial interference, and executive overreach as “unsubstantiated allegations and lies” aimed at discrediting the administration of President Bola Tinubu and courting international sympathy.
The ADC coalition, led by former House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Nnenna Ukeje, had held a press briefing alleging that President Tinubu’s recent remarks on “noise” targeted their party, signaling authoritarian tendencies. Dare countered that the President’s comments were general and not aimed at ADC specifically, calling their reaction “self-indictment.”
“Democracy thrives on competition, yes—but it also demands organization, coherence, and credibility. Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public,” Dare wrote.
He acknowledged the coalition’s praise for Tinubu’s democratic credentials—highlighting his role in strengthening opposition politics and resisting authoritarianism—but lambasted their pivot to portraying him as a threat. “A leader’s record is not a switch that flips overnight,” Dare argued, rejecting allegations of judicial meddling and Chief of Staff’s involvement as “speculative and irresponsible.”
Dare portrayed ADC as a “hurriedly stitched together contraption” plagued by internal disarray, with no shared philosophy beyond “ambition colliding with ambition.”
He referenced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s past criticisms of coalition allies, questioning their unity.
“The truth is far less dramatic: internal party disorganization is being reframed as external persecution,” the statement read.
Dare, who is also a member of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors urged ADC to focus inward on resolving leadership disputes rather than “weaponizing rhetoric.”
He concluded with a rhetorical jab: “What’s that Noise?”—echoing a line attributed to the late Alhaji Wada Nas.
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