In recent weeks, Nigeria’s public discourse has been clouded by rumours of a foiled coup plot involving over a dozen military officers and a former governor allegedly “on the run.” While the Defence Headquarters has issued a characteristically ambiguous statement, the very persistence of these rumours—whether grounded in fact or fabricated through disinformation—demands urgent clarification: There is absolutely no place for military intervention in today’s Nigeria.
This isn’t mere rhetoric. It’s a data-driven conclusion supported by Nigeria’s painful history, the catastrophic failures of recent military takeovers across Africa’s Sahel region, and mounting evidence of foreign-backed disinformation campaigns designed to destabilise democratic governance across the continent. While it is true that the statement from the DHQ neither confirmed nor denied the reports, the speculation has continued to spread rapidly across social media—fuelled by conspiracy theories, propaganda, and coordinated disinformation. Yet, amid the noise, one truth must be re-emphasised and declared without ambiguity: There is no place for a coup or military junta in today’s Nigeria.
No grievance, however genuine, justifies a return to military rule. Nigeria’s democracy may be imperfect, but it remains the only framework capable of reforming itself without destroying the nation. We have already paid too high a price for the lessons of authoritarianism. The mere imagination of another coup is not only reckless but profoundly dangerous for a country still healing from decades of military misadventure.