FG slams ‘fabricated’ plot to arrest opposition VIPs as political fiction
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Federal Government of Nigeria has forcefully dismissed circulating allegations of a secret multi-agency task force aimed at targeting opposition figures, labeling the claims as “deliberate disinformation” designed to derail its anti-corruption drive.
In a statement issued Tuesday by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, the government categorically denied the existence of a program called “ADP4VIP” (Arrest, Detain, Prosecute for Very Important Persons).
The purported task force, falsely described in the leaked document as comprising the EFCC, ICPC, NFIU, and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, allegedly sought to “systematically weaken and neutralise opposition political activity,” particularly within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“No such programme as ‘ADP4VIP’ exists,” the statement declared emphatically, adding that the administration under President Bola Tinubu “is firmly and successfully focused on its core agenda: implementing measurable economic reforms, defeating insecurity, expanding trade opportunities, and restoring investor confidence.”
The government accused “some opposition elements” of using the hoax to frame “lawful accountability as political targeting,” calling it a “dangerous red herring designed to shield so-called VIPs from answering to our national laws and anti-corruption agencies.”
Idris reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to constitutional rights, quoting Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees freedom of association and assembly.
“President Tinubu swore an oath to uphold this Constitution and its protections,” the statement noted, describing him as “a democrat with considerable and positive footprints.”
With the 2027 elections approaching, the minister warned of rising “fabricated narratives and political blackmail,” urging Nigerians to “remain vigilant and to reject the politics of distortion and division.”
He stressed that while political freedoms are protected, security and anti-corruption agencies retain their mandates.
The government concluded on a resolute note, “As we draw the curtain on 2025 and step into a new year, this government will not be distracted by those invested in perpetual politicking. Nigerians deserve continuity, progress, and tangible results—and that is what the Tinubu Administration remains dedicated to delivering.”
