By Newspot Nigeria Commentary Desk
Tinubu says one-party rule isn’t good for Nigeria. But the way things are going, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
“A one‑party system is not suitable for democracy… You don’t expect people to remain in a sinking ship without a life jacket. I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished and expecting more people to come. That’s the game.”
— President Bola Tinubu, May 22, 2025
When The Nation Newspaper — widely known to have ties to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — publishes an editorial warning that Nigerian democracy is more threatened than we like to admit, it’s not just another think piece. It’s a quiet alarm bell, and a very ironic one at that.
And just this week, it was even more surprising to watch someone openly criticize Nigeria’s political elites live on NTA—the same network long seen as the government’s safe echo chamber. It felt like an unscripted moment of truth had somehow slipped through the cracks.
When the Message Comes From Inside the House
In the column by Idowu Akinlotan, the warning is clear: Nigeria’s democracy is wobbling — not just from insecurity or economic strain, but from the behavior of the political class itself. The piece calls out opposition leaders who refuse to accept election outcomes, as well as the general political recklessness that threatens the system from within.
But here’s where it gets interesting — and a bit uncomfortable.
At the same time that The Nation is warning us about the dangers of democracy unraveling, the political machinery around President Tinubu has been absorbing opposition leaders at an alarming rate. Governors, senators, party chieftains — they’re all flocking to the ruling APC. The opposition is being emptied out — not through the ballot box, but by defections that many see as motivated more by self-preservation than ideology.
Tinubu Says He’s Against a One-Party System — and He’s Said It More Than Once
To be fair, the president hasn’t stayed silent on the matter. At the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda Summit in May, he said clearly:
“A one-party system is not suitable for democracy.”
And on June 12 — Nigeria’s Democracy Day — Tinubu doubled down:
“At no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future juncture shall I view the notion of a one‑party state as good for Nigeria.”
These are the right words. But words alone don’t carry the weight of action. And right now, the action on the ground tells a different story.
A Quiet Consolidation
Let’s call it what it is: Nigeria is drifting toward one-party dominance, not by constitutional force, but by quiet absorption. And while Tinubu defends this as part of the political “game,” many Nigerians are watching this unfold with growing discomfort.
Because here’s the thing about democracy: it’s not just about who wins. It’s also about who’s allowed to compete freely, criticize openly, and offer real alternatives. When the opposition is being hollowed out, even voluntarily, we lose that healthy tension that makes democracy work.
A Bigger Picture
This isn’t just a Nigerian problem. Across the world, we’ve seen democracies stumble not because elections stop happening, but because competition gets choked, dissent gets punished, and everything starts orbiting around one powerful center.
Nigeria has come a long way since 1999. But that progress doesn’t mean we’re immune to backsliding. And if the same people who built the system start weakening it — even unintentionally — the damage can be deep and long-lasting.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
If the president truly believes what he says — that a one-party system is bad for Nigeria — then it’s time to slow down the political shopping spree and let democracy breathe.
Nigeria needs:
- A strong and respected opposition
- Independent institutions that aren’t afraid to push back
- Leaders who welcome scrutiny, not just loyalty
And we need to stop pretending that defections are harmless. Because when politics becomes a game of who can join the winning side fast enough, the rest of us — the voters — are left with no real choice at all.
At Newspot Nigeria, we believe that defending democracy isn’t just about giving speeches on June 12. It’s about what happens the day after — and every day after that. Even more so when truth starts to leak out on NTA.
