There are fears that the country is gradually moving towards one-party state considering the recent defections of high-profile politicians from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Many Nigerians believe that the creeping one-party state will lead to full-blown dictatorship if the drift is not quickly checked. Prominent Nigerians, including Constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, have joined other eminent Nigerians to decry our gradual movement to a one-party state and its dire consequences.
Ozekhome stated that the dangerous move is characterised by bootlicking at its highest level and the increasing trend of defections and cross-carpeting by elected officials. He maintained that such actions demonstrate lack of ideological grounding among politicians, stressing that one-party state inevitably leads to unchecked power, and in a one-party state, dictatorship reigns supreme.
In the same vein, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has cautioned against the looming one-party state and advised that the democratic space must be protected from domination by any single political interest. The governor also warned that the opposition is under threat, and there’s a looming danger of a one-party system ahead of 2027 election. This trend, he says, undermines the very foundation of our democracy, which is built on the principles of inclusivity, the rich diversity of our nation, and competition.
Earlier, former Vice-President and the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had warned against the descent to a one-party state. During the marking of our 26 years of uninterrupted civil rule, Atiku observed: “Today, Nigeria teeters on the edge of a dangerous precipice—a creeping one-party dictatorship is replacing the democratic order we bled for. The ruling party and its federal government now govern with the unmistakable intent to dominate, subdue, and silence. Their tactics are not subtle. Opposition voices are being systematically erased.”
The Labour Party (LP) presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, had also warned against the drift to one-party state. The suspicion by concerned Nigerians on the matter is not misplaced. The gale of defections by politicians from the opposition political parties to the ruling APC lends credence to the morphing one-party state. Of recent, some prominent politicians from the PDP, LP and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) have decamped to the APC with much publicity. Among the latest high-profile defectors to the APC are Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other elected officials of the state. Similarly, Akwa Ibom state governor, Umo Eno, has also defected to the ruling party with members of his party.
Defections have also been recorded at the state level and National Assembly, where the movement has increased the APC numerical strength considerably. The defections from opposition parties in the National Assembly have increased the membership of the APC to 68 in the Senate and about 207 in the House of Representatives. The tally will increase with more likely defections.
With the defections, opposition parties, which had a greater majority in the House of Representatives and were nearly at par with the APC in the Senate at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on June 13, 2023, have seen a significant depletion in their ranks. At the start of the Assembly, the Senate’s composition was: APC – 59 seats; PDP – 36; LP – 8; SDP – 2; NNPP) – 2; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1; and Young Progressives Party (YPP) – 1. The recent defections, have left the Senate configuration as: APC – 68 seats; PDP – 30; LP – 5; SDP – 2; NNPP – 1; APGA – 1; with two seats—one each in Edo and Anambra—currently vacant. The trend is disturbing and does not augur well for our evolving democracy.
Democracy thrives in an atmosphere of multi-party system. Democracy without opposition is not healthy and may likely not endure. It will definitely lead to totalitarianism. The opposition offers constructive criticisms that keep the ruling party on its toes. In fact, the ruling party needs the criticisms from the opposition to govern well. When the opposition is referred to as government-in-waiting, it is because of its important role in offering the alternative option in the democratic process. The opposition offers the alternative voice on how the system should work. In the Western world, the leading opposition political party, forms shadow-government which analyses actions and programmes of the party in power and offers alternative direction. Nigeria needs a strong and robust opposition to keep the system working optimally.
The opposition political parties should unite and speak with one voice. Let the politicians play politics of conviction and abide by ideologies and principles. Jumping from one party to another on flimsy excuses is inimical to the growth of democracy in the country. It is good that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed the possibility of Nigeria becoming a one-party state, arguing rightly that such agenda is a threat to democracy and the nation’s political heritage. We urge him to walk the talk. He should avoid actions that give impressions that he is coercing or cajoling members of the opposition to cross over to APC. Democracy thrives in an atmosphere of plurality of views.