The drift to one-party state

The fears over the descent to one-party state appear to be looming large with each passing day as Nigerians move towards the 2027 general election. Despite repeated denials of the allegation by the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the suspicion is rife. The recent defection of elected governors and their supporters from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the APC justifies the claim of Nigeria drifting to a one-party state. With the unbridled defections, the APC now has 32 governors as well as over 90 per cent of senators and members of the House of Representatives. The ruling party now controls most state Houses of  Assembly.

The alleged destabilisation of the major opposition parties, such as the PDP, LP, the NNPP and, lately, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) through externally engineered crises shows clearly that Nigeria is fast drifting to a one-party state. The muzzling of the opposition and the attendant shrinking of the political space would only lead to a one-party state and dictatorship, if not curbed now. We loathe the descent to one-party state and the creeping dictatorship in the land and urge Nigerian patriots to save our tottering democracy.

Nigeria needs a strong and vibrant opposition to keep the system working optimally. Opposition political parties are major ingredients in a democracy. They provide the barometer with which the actions of the ruling party are measured. The party in power needs criticisms from the opposition to be on its toes. Democracy thrives in a multi-party system.

When the opposition is referred to as government-in-waiting, it is because of its important role 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 credible alternative. Democracy without opposition is akin to dictatorship.

The political system should be made inclusive and the opposition parties should be allowed to be. The gradual drift to one-party state is unhealthy and should be strongly condemned. To ensure an inclusive and transparent electoral system, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be neutral and apolitical. The electoral umpire must not act in a way to suggest bias in favour of the ruling party. INEC must maintain its integrity by distancing itself from internal affairs of the political parties.

In the same way, the courts must be unequivocal in their pronouncements. Their orders must be free from ambiguity and confusing Latin phrases. Conflicting rulings on the same matter by even courts of coordinate jurisdiction do not help in the growth and development of democracy.

The descent to one-party system is not even good for the APC, the government and the people. It will rob our democracy of competition. It will also limit participation in the democratic process by some Nigerians. It is likely to encourage voter apathy and even voter intimidation and other electoral infractions. Those planning to make Nigeria a one-party state should desist from it. Apart from destroying our nascent democracy, it will also destroy the country and make us a laughing stock in the comity of nations. The diversity of the country does not favour the move to one-party state. Our democracy can only thrive in an atmosphere of multi-parties that are vibrant and competitive. Political parties must be deliberately nurtured to grow and be strong. They should not be seen as special purpose vehicles designed to win elections. They should be more than that narrow definition.

Let there be a level playing field for all the political parties ahead of the 2027 electoral contest. The political space should be open to all the parties. The federal government should tread cautiously so as not to throw the country into avoidable crisis ahead of the general election. Let all the candidates go into the field and test their popularity. The political space is large enough for all the political actors.

We urge the opposition political parties to get their act together, play politics of conviction and abide by ideologies. Let them play the role of credible alternative and hold the ruling party in check through in-depth analyses and criticisms of government policies and programmes. The criticisms should be constructive, objective and purpose-driven. For them to be taken seriously, the opposition political parties should be more focused.

Let them have the interest of Nigerians at heart. The opposition should maintain internal party democracy. There is need for level playing field for its members. President Bola Tinubu had some time last year dismissed the allegation of Nigeria drifting to one-party state. He also argued that one-party state was a threat to democracy and the nation’s political heritage. We urge him to resist any clandestine move to realise such an inimical goal.