By Ogochukwu Isioma
President Bola Tinubu has dismissed concerns raised by opposition figures over the recent defections of key members of opposition parties into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that democracy remains strong and vibrant in Nigeria.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. Oborevwori defected alongside his predecessor and former PDP 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa and other PDP stakeholders.
The defection has sparked discussion in political circles with many accusing President Tinubu of gradually turning Nigeria into a one-party state.
Reacting, President Tinubu rejected the allegations, declaring that the political shifts occurring are a natural part of democratic processes.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu described the criticisms as “alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy.”
The President noted that while political realignments may cause discomfort for the opposition, the claims of authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated.
He pointed out that no actions taken by his administration are aimed at suppressing democracy or promoting a one-party system.
According to Tinubu, the “seismic shift” caused by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s open declaration of support for him, the defection of Governor Oborevwori, Okowa, and principal political actors in Delta and Rivers States “certainly threw the opposition and their sympathisers into disarray.”
“Contrary to the false claims in the propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria. Accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated,” he said.
The president also clarified that the responsibility for managing the opposition lies with the opposition parties themselves, not the APC or the presidency.
He dismissed reports that the defections were the result of coercion, bribery, or manipulation, stating that these claims lacked evidence and were a reflection of the opposition’s own struggles.
“No policy, official action, or directive from the Presidency seeks to ‘dismantle democracy’ or ‘weaken opposition or create a one-party state.’ Accusations of bribery, blackmail, and the weaponisation of state institutions only exist in the idle minds of politicians and their agents who have failed in their assigned role of opposition and are fishing for scapegoats.
“The opposition cannot blame President Tinubu and the governing APC for their poor organisation, indiscipline, and gross incompetence in managing their affairs. It is certainly not part of President Tinubu’s job to organise or strengthen opposition parties.
“We find it curious that those who celebrated the defection of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the formation of a regional grand coalition with the sole aim of defeating President Tinubu in the 2027 election are the same people shedding crocodile tears over Nigeria’s so-called drift to a one-party state and authoritarianism,” the statement added.
President Tinubu declared that Nigeria’s democracy is strong, with the right to freely join any political party being a cornerstone of democratic ideals.
“Without any equivocation, freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom of choice are part of the cherished ideals of democracy. When politicians and citizens cannot freely join any association or political party of their choice or cannot openly express their views, democracy is imperilled.
“It is hypocrisy writ large when opposition politicians and their collaborators in the ‘human rights’ movement desire that the party of the President should implode so they can gain electoral advantage and cry wolf when their wish does not materialise.”
The president called on Nigerians to respect each other’s political choices and reject narratives designed to undermine the nation’s democratic foundations.
He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that democracy remains robust in Nigeria, with space for all political parties to participate in the democratic process.
“Under President Tinubu, democracy is strong, and the multiparty democratic system will continue to flourish unhindered. His administration remains resolutely committed to upholding and strengthening the democratic foundations upon which our Fourth Republic has stood since 1999,” the statement noted.
Tinubu also pointed out that political defections are not unusual even in advanced democracies. “Politicians changing party affiliation is not new or peculiar to Nigeria. In more advanced democracies, there are ready examples of notable politicians, statesmen and women who changed their parties.”
“President Tinubu is an avowed democrat and a firm believer in multiparty democracy. His political activism and democratic credentials in galvanising and strengthening opposition platforms as a force that defeated a sitting President and the then ruling party attest to his credibility as a tested defender of multiparty democracy,” the statement concluded.
The Presidency, therefore, urged Nigerians to “join hands with the (Tinubu) administration in protecting our democracy by respecting our people’s choices and giving alarmists, who draw their narratives from the pool of fiction, a wide berth.”
