By Olaitan Ibrahim
he Tinubu Presidency has dismissed claims by opposition figures and human rights activists that Nigeria’s democracy is threatened following a wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, on Sunday, the government described recent concerns as “alarmist,” insisting that “democracy is strong and alive in Nigeria.”
“We have read the alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders, and emergency defenders of democracy,” Onanuga said, reacting to criticisms over the defection of key political figures to the APC.
The statement highlighted the political shift caused by “Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s open declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu,” the “defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori,” and the switch of “Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, former PDP vice-presidential candidate,” among others. These moves, Onanuga noted, have thrown the opposition “into disarray.”
While acknowledging the opposition’s right to be “heartbroken,” the Presidency said it was “disturbing” that critics are accusing Tinubu of “promoting a one-party state,” describing such allegations as “false” and “exaggerated.”
“Contrary to the propaganda in circulation,” Onanuga stated, “no policy, action, or directive from the Presidency seeks to dismantle democracy or weaken the opposition.”
He further stressed that accusations of “bribery, blackmail, and the weaponisation of state institutions” exist only “in the idle minds of politicians who have failed in their role as the opposition.”
According to the statement, the ruling APC should not be blamed for the “poor organisation, indiscipline, and incompetence” within opposition ranks.
“It is certainly not part of President Tinubu’s job to organise or strengthen opposition parties,” Onanuga maintained.
The Presidency described as “curious” the fact that critics who celebrated “Nasir El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP” are now lamenting an alleged “drift to a one-party state.”
“Those who raised no anxious voice against disgruntled politicians forming a regional coalition against Tinubu,” Onanuga said, “are today quick to cry wolf without evidence.”
Reaffirming democratic principles, he added: “Freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom of choice are cherished ideals of democracy,” and “when citizens cannot freely join political parties of their choice, democracy is imperilled.”
“It is hypocrisy writ large,” the statement continued, “for opposition figures to desire the implosion of the ruling party while crying foul when political tides turn against them.”
Onanuga emphasised that “Nigerians migrating to the APC and expressing support for President Tinubu are doing so of their free will,” and any attempt to “delegitimise their choices” is a “gross disservice to democracy.”
He also pointed out that “party switching” is not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that there are “ready examples from advanced democracies.”
Commending the efforts of Tinubu and the APC leadership, the Presidency said: “President Tinubu and Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje deserve commendation for making the APC viable and attractive.”
“President Tinubu is an avowed democrat,” he continued, “whose political activism in strengthening opposition platforms is well documented.”
The statement concluded with an appeal: “We urge all Nigerians to join hands with the administration in protecting our democracy,” and to “give alarmists, who draw their narratives from the pool of fiction, a wide berth.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that a group of prominent Nigerian democrats issued a passionate call to defend the nation’s hard-earned democracy, warning that President Tinubu’s administration was “undermining political pluralism” and pushing Nigeria “toward a dangerous one-party state.”
In a statement titled Defending Democracy: A Call to Resist the March Toward a One-Party State in Nigeria, seventeen signatories—including respected activists, academics, and politicians—expressed “grave concern” over what they described as a “calculated and systematic effort” to weaken Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
The statement was signed by notable figures namely Richard Akinnola, Abdul Mahmud, Dr. Sam Amadi, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Nnimmo Bassey, Adeola Soetan, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, Uzodinma Uwaogbe, Mma Odi, Osa Director, Prof. Adele Jinadu, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, and Olufemi Adegbulugbe.
“We are witnessing, with increasing dismay, a deliberate dismantling of the structures that uphold our democracy,” the group declared.
The statement accused the Tinubu administration of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a “weapon against opposition figures,” alleging that invitations for questioning are often followed by “political capitulation.”
“This weaponisation of state institutions corrodes public trust,” they argued, adding that “a democracy without opposition is not a democracy.” According to them, the current trajectory “betrays the ideals” fought for during Nigeria’s battle against military rule.
“The drift toward a one-party state is a betrayal,” the signatories said. “It is not what we envisioned when we stood in the streets demanding civil rule.”