The Coup That Wasn't: Inside the Plot Against Tinubu

New details have emerged about the alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu, and the full story is as troubling as it is revealing. A 16-part investigation by Premium Times, drawing on over 7,400 pages of documents, shows the alleged mastermind, Army Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji, was driven by personal frustration after twice failing to be promoted to brigadier general, in 2023 and 2024. He told investigators his actions were also a response to insecurity, corruption, and poor military welfare, but some of his own allies dismissed him as a "joker" who failed to deliver on logistics.

Ma'aji was arrested on 29 September 2025, lured to Niger Barracks on the pretence of discussing his promotion with then Chief of Army Staff Olufemi Oluyede. The documents reveal a chaotic conspiracy, with Ma'aji's reliance on Islamic clerics and spiritualists raising doubts about his judgement. This is the first time we are seeing the full picture of what happened, and it raises serious questions about the state of our military and the desperation that can push a senior officer to contemplate overthrowing a democratically elected government.

Can we really trust that this was the whole story, or are we only seeing what the authorities want us to see?