The Nigerian Presidency has strongly dismissed allegations that recent political realignments signal a drift towards authoritarianism, reaffirming that democracy remains vibrant and thriving under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on X, the Presidency said opposition figures, partisan human rights activists, and self-styled defenders of democracy were spreading “alarming claims” over recent defections of key opposition members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have read the alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy over recent defections of key members of opposition parties into the governing All Progressives Congress,” Onanuga stated.
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He pointed to the significant political shifts in the country, particularly the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Vice Presidential candidate Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and the open support from Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, as evidence of the APC’s growing appeal, not a conspiracy to undermine democracy.
The seismic shift caused by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s open declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu, the defection of the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and the principal political actors in Delta and Rivers States certainly threw the opposition and their sympathisers into disarray,” he said.
The Presidency described as “baseless and exaggerated” the claims that the Tinubu administration was orchestrating a one-party state, emphasizing that there is no directive, policy, or action aimed at weakening the opposition or dismantling democracy.
“Contrary to the false claims in the propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria,” Onanuga insisted. “Accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated.”
He stressed that the opposition’s troubles were self-inflicted, citing poor organisation and internal crises, rather than any machinations from the APC or the President.
“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,” he added.
Onanuga also criticized what he described as hypocrisy among opposition figures and their allies, noting that while they welcomed the defection of former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), they now cry foul over similar political movements toward the APC.
“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,” he said.
The statement reaffirmed that Nigerians joining the APC were doing so out of their free will and belief in the Tinubu administration’s reforms, and it denounced any attempts to delegitimize such choices as a threat to democracy.
“Freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom of choice are part of the cherished ideals of democracy,” Onanuga emphasized.
“When politicians and citizens cannot freely join any association or political party of their choice or cannot openly express their views, democracy is imperilled.”
He further noted that party defections are common even in more advanced democracies, insisting that the developments in Nigeria should be seen as part of normal democratic evolution.
“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,” Onanuga said.
The statement ended with a call for national unity in safeguarding democracy, urging Nigerians to ignore “alarmists” and work with the administration for the country’s progress. “President Tinubu is an avowed democrat and a firm believer in multiparty democracy,” he said. “We urge all Nigerians to join hands with the 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.”
The Presidency reiterated its commitment to upholding and strengthening the democratic foundations laid since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, promising that multiparty democracy would continue to flourish unhindered.
