“Democracy thrives on debate, not domination,” President Tinubu
ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a firm rebuttal to growing public and political concerns, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that his administration has no intention of transforming Nigeria into a one-party state, as opposition leaders and civil society groups increasingly accuse the ruling APC of democratic suppression through strategic defections and power consolidation.
Delivering his Democracy Day address on Wednesday, June 12, at the National Assembly, Tinubu reassured Nigerians that multiparty democracy remains central to Nigeria’s political identity.> “This nation was founded on the principle of freedom, equity, and the rule of law. We shall preserve and deepen these tenets. Nigeria is not and will never be a one-party state,” Tinubu said to applause from some lawmakers and tense silence from others.
🧩 Backdrop: Waves of Defections Spark Alarm the President’s statement comes amid a wave of high-profile defections from opposition parties—especially the PDP and LP—into the APC, raising red flags over the shrinking space for dissent and the growing imbalance in legislative representation.
Critics like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have voiced serious concerns, describing the situation as a “creeping authoritarianism” and calling for a “national resistance to preserve Nigeria’s democracy.”🔍 The Significance of June 12 June 12 holds powerful symbolism in Nigeria’s democratic history—marking the annulled 1993 elections widely considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.
The day was enshrined as Democracy Day in memory of MKO Abiola, whose victory was never honoured during the military era.Tinubu, once a fierce pro-democracy activist and ally of Abiola, has been under pressure to live up to that legacy. His speech today seemed calibrated to do just that—at least rhetorically.
Frontnaija.com.
