2027 won’t be walkover for Tinubu – Ohuabunwa, ex-presidential aspirant

Nigeria's political landscape is increasingly raising eyebrows, with many observers, including former presidential aspirant Sam Ohuabunwa, worried about a potential slide into a one-party state. This concern is fueled by the observable trend of politicians, particularly governors, switching allegiance to the dominant All Progressives Congress (APC), leaving opposition parties weakened and divided.

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So, one really wonders what’s really happening. That’s one. Two, the opposition parties have shown much division, so much weakness and lack of coherence. So it’s like one party is getting stronger, while the other parties seem to be getting weaker. And this is why it seems Nigeria is turning into a one-party state.

Ohuabunwa points out that this phenomenon is unprecedented in Nigeria's political history. The mass defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties to the APC have created a perception of a shrinking political space for opposition. He questions whether this development is a natural evolution of political ideology or an induced process aimed at consolidating power.

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A multi-party arrangement is what actually defines democracy.

"A multi-party arrangement is what actually defines democracy," Ohuabunwa asserts, drawing parallels with countries like China and North Korea, which, despite having single-party systems, are not considered democracies. He highlights that while single-party systems might foster development by minimizing political divisions, they invariably come at the cost of human rights, freedom of speech, and can breed authoritarian tendencies.

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But today, human rights, freedom of speech and such things are limited in a one-party nation, which always breeds tendencies of authoritarian government.

President Bola Tinubu, while professing belief in a multi-party system, has also acknowledged the freedom of association, interpreting defections as individuals seeking "a stable boat" when theirs is perceived as sinking. However, allegations persist that the APC is actively inducing these defections to stifle opposition. Regardless of the cause, Ohuabunwa concludes that Nigeria moving towards a one-party state is detrimental and undesirable for the nation's democratic health.

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For me, my own proposition is that whether it’s organic or happening as a result of inducement, it’s not a good development. Nigeria should not be a one-party state; we need a multi-party