The African Democratic Congress is greatly disturbed by the creeping dictatorship taking root among APC state governors
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the decision of Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to shut down a privately-owned radio station, Badeggi FM.
The party described the move as a dangerous affront to Nigeria’s democratic values and a blatant violation of constitutional rights.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed deep concern over what it described as an emerging pattern of authoritarian behavior among governors elected under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party warned that Governor Bago’s recent action mirrors a growing culture of executive overreach, political intolerance, and repression of dissent in several APC-controlled states.
“The African Democratic Congress is greatly disturbed by the creeping dictatorship taking root among APC state governors,” the statement began.
“We recall with alarm the recent incident involving the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, who publicly declared the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi—a prominent member of the coalition movement—persona non grata in his state.
“Now, yet another APC governor, this time in Niger State, has ordered the immediate closure of a private radio station, Badeggi FM, in an act that harks back to the darkest days of military rule.”
According to the ADC, such developments are not isolated but reflect a coordinated and troubling tendency by APC governors to stifle free expression and suppress opposition voices. The party accused Governor Bago of using the powers of his office to intimidate the very citizens who elected him.
“Perhaps Governor Bago needs a reminder: he was chosen by the same people whose voices he now seeks to silence. It is ironic—and deeply troubling—that an elected leader finds the truth spoken by his own people so discomforting that he is willing to gag them. Nigeria is not a monarchy, and governors are not emperors,” the ADC stated.
The party stressed that the very foundation of liberal democracy rests on fundamental freedoms, including the rights to free speech, association, and movement. These rights, it emphasized, are protected under the Nigerian Constitution and cannot be abridged arbitrarily by any state official, no matter how highly placed.
“If the radio station in question—Badeggi FM—has committed any professional or ethical breaches, the law provides a clear and legal path for addressing such issues,” the party continued. “Under Section 2(1)(b) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, the authority to regulate and, where necessary, sanction broadcast stations lies exclusively with the NBC—not with any governor.”
The ADC went further to accuse Governor Bago of criminalizing free speech and conflating dissent with treason. According to the party, it is outrageous for a sitting governor to label ordinary citizens as traitors simply because they aired content he found politically inconvenient.
“By equating media criticism with treason, and going as far as ordering punitive action against the press, Governor Bago has shown sheer contempt for the Constitution he swore to uphold. For any elected official to unilaterally declare people guilty of the gravest offense in the land without due process is not only unlawful—it is tyrannical.”
The ADC warned that allowing such undemocratic actions to go unchallenged would set a dangerous precedent that could gradually dismantle press freedom across the country.
“Today, it is Badeggi FM. Tomorrow, it could be a newspaper, a journalist, or an online platform that dares to ask the ‘wrong’ questions. This is how autocracies emerge—not with tanks rolling through the streets, but through the quiet strangulation of free expression, one microphone at a time.”
The party concluded its statement with a call to action. It urged all Nigerians, civil society organizations, and democratic institutions to resist what it termed the rise of “creeping dictatorship” under the guise of governance.
“We demand that Governor Bago immediately reverses the illegal closure of Badeggi FM. Furthermore, we call for an independent investigation into the deployment of security forces for political vendettas. The National Assembly must also move swiftly to reinforce the independence of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and ensure that broadcast regulation remains free from political interference.”