The recent alert by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar can only make meanings if taken from what would have been the lot of Nigeria’s democracy had the then Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu and his allies not taken strategic steps to leave the crisis-ridden Alliance for Democracy (AD) to form the Action Congress (AC) in 2006. In the 1999 general elections, AD gave a good account of itself, especially in the South West where it had considerable followership. But by 2003, the fortunes of the party had started dwindling, due largely to inflexibility of its leadership and infiltration of its ranks by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Olusegun Obasanjo presidency.
By 2006, the gulf in AD had widened so much resulting to emergence of two factions – one led by Senator Mojisola Akinfenwa, suspected to be working for Obasanjo, while the other camp, headed by erstwhile Osun State governor, Chief Adebisi Akande, protected Tinubu’s interest. In September of the year, Akande faction left the AD and metamorphosed to AC. In the presidential election of the following year, Atiku contested on the platform of the party, with Senator Ben Obi as his running mate.
That bold move by Tinubu and his acolytes saved Nigeria from drifting to a one-party state, especially as suspicion was rife that the then National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke was merely a mole planted on the party by Obasanjo to destabilize it. Subsequent actions by Tinubu and his colleagues, culminated in the fusion of other opposition political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was a commendable move by whatever stretch of imagination.
Now, fast-forward to 19 years after! That very suspicion by Tinubu on Obasanjo ambushing the country’s democracy is playing back, this time, coming from Atiku against Tinubu, his former ally. Atiku is accusing Tinubu of killing the opposition. He alleges that the President and his government are weakening the opposition by bribing its members. That is the character of Nigerian politicians. They condone something, no matter how odd, when it favours them but condemn it when they are at the losing end. It is ironical that all the shenanigans by the PDP under Obasanjo which Tinubu fought against under AD, AC and the APC, are being replicated in greater dimensions and intensity under his presidency.
Atiku could therefore be right in his allegation that Tinubu’s administration paid N50 million bribe to opposition parties to weaken their leadership ahead of the 2027 election. He could also be wrong. But certain indications clearly show that the federal government under Tinubu is working assiduously to whittle the powers of the opposition political parties in the land to have a smooth run in 2027. Hard as the government or its supporters may argue against that, it would be difficult to deny that some members of the PDP are being nudged by the presidency to destabilize the party. The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike is suspected of playing that inglorious role. In Labour Party, Julius Abure, the controversial chairman, is alleged to be doing so. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) just managed to free itself of the bug the other day when the Supreme Court, discharged the distraction from Edozie Njoku and affirmed Sly Ezeonwuka as the National Chairman of the party. Even at that, the long period of leadership crisis in the party which dated to the Chekwas Okorie/Victor Umeh era, has seriously reduced APGA to a shadow of itself. The party is currently a mere local outfit, operating within Anambra State.
Yes, the presidency may succeed in stifling the opposition but the dangers in the action are many. Opposition political parties are major ingredients in democracy. They provide the barometer with which the activities of the ruling parties are measured. The parties in power need the acerbic criticisms from the opposition to be on their toes and offer good governance to the people. When the opposition is referred to as government-in-waiting, it is not without reason. The opposition provides the alternative voice on how the system should work. In the Western world, the leading opposition political party, forms shadow-government which analyses actions and programmes of the party in power and offers alternative viewpoints. Similar trend existed here at some points.
The gains recorded in the First Republic were essentially on account of the vibrancy of the opposition at the time. While the coalition of the Northern Peoples Congress of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and National Council of Nigerian Citizens of Nnamdi Azikiwe, ran the government, the Action Group (AG) led by Obafemi Awolowo, provided robust opposition that kept the administration in check. In the Second Republic, the principled opposition from Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria, Peoples Redemption Party of Aminu Kano and Great Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), led by Waziri Ibrahim, put the Shehu Shagari’s Federal Government of National Party of Nigeria (NPN)/NPP accord on its toes. Azikiwe’s NPP later joined the other opposition groups when its marriage of convenience with the NPN crashed. At the state levels, the culture of opposition resonated, making the governors sit up to their duties. For a complex society as Nigeria, there could not have been a better system in giving the people and the diverse tendencies the opportunity to have their say.
The opposition must therefore, be allowed to thrive. Whatever moves and scheme by the presidency to weaken the opposition must be resisted by Nigerians with every constitutional means. Allowing Tinubu and his foot soldiers have their way in crippling the opposition, is the surest way of ram roading the country to one-party state. The uncertainties in the agenda are legion. That is the starting point for civilian autocracy and sit-tight rulership which Nigerians prevented Obasanjo from actualising in 2006. Winning that heroic battle against Obasanjo at the nascent days of the country’s democracy and losing it to Tinubu when the system should be at a cruising level, would amount to serious disservice to Nigerians, dead and alive who devoted their lives in ensuring enthronement of democracy in the land.
Weakening the opposition was how many African countries walked into serious problems that are currently besetting them. Félix Houphouët-Boigny did so in Cote D’Ivoire. The country is yet to survive the consequent crisis since his death. Sekou Toure did so in Guinea. The country has been in turmoil since his exit. Liberia under Samuel Doe made same mistake and paid dearly for it, so also did Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe, Zaire under Mobutu Seseseko, Togo under Gnassingbe Eyadema, Chad under Idris Derby, among others. Nigeria cannot afford to pass through that sordid path.
