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ADC Slams Governor Bago Over Badeggi FM Shutdown, Warns Against Rising Dictatorship Under APC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the recent closure of Badeggi FM by Governor Muhammed Umaru Bago of Niger State, describing the move as a brazen assault on press freedom and a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism under Nigeria’s democratic framework.

In a press statement released on Saturday, the ADC decried what it called “growing dictatorial tendencies” among governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing recent incidents that point to a broader pattern of executive overreach and disregard for constitutional liberties.

The party recalled a similar instance involving the APC governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, who declared the Labour Party’s presidential candidate persona non grata in his state. The ADC said such actions, including Governor Bago’s clampdown on a private radio station, are reminiscent of military dictatorship and should not be tolerated in a democracy.

“Perhaps, Governor Bago needs to be reminded that he was elected by these same people whose truth he now finds so uncomfortable that he is willing to have their heads,” the statement read in part.

The ADC stressed that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech, movement, and association — rights which, according to the party, are increasingly under threat in APC-controlled states.

“If the said radio station has behaved unethically in any way or has transgressed the limits of free speech, there are provisions in the law for legitimate redress. Under Section 2(1)(b) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, the power to sanction a radio station rests solely with the NBC—not with any state governor.”

The party also criticized Governor Bago for allegedly accusing private citizens of treason simply for broadcasting content he found uncomfortable. It described such allegations and executive actions as “outrageous,” saying they amount to criminalizing dissent and weaponizing state power to suppress free expression.

The ADC further warned that allowing the Badeggi FM closure to stand would set a dangerous precedent for other political leaders to clamp down on the media and civil liberties.

“Today it is Badeggi FM — tomorrow it could be a newspaper, a social media platform, or a journalist asking the ‘wrong questions.’ This is how autocracy begins: not with tanks in the streets, but with microphones being seized and studios being bulldozed.”

Calling on Nigerians to resist what it termed a “creeping dictatorship,” the ADC demanded the immediate unsealing of Badeggi FM and an independent probe into the use of security operatives for political retaliation.

The party also urged the National Assembly to reinforce the autonomy of the NBC and ensure that broadcast regulation is protected from political interference.

The statement was signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress.

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