Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said that he enjoys seeing opposition parties in disarray.
He made this statement during a Democracy Day address to a joint session of the National Assembly.
According to him, opposition parties should examine their internal processes, as he would neither advise them to put their house in order nor assist them in doing so.
This comes amid a wave of defections from opposition parties—particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party—to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside allegations that the President and his party are plotting to entrench a one-party state.
“Political parties, fear of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes and affairs rather than fearfully conjuring up demons that do not exist,” Tinubu said.
“For me, I will not say try your best to put your house in order, I will not help you to do so either, it is indeed a pleasure to witness you in such a disarray.”
He made the comments during a presentation that was also attended by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, a prominent PDP member, who has been working to prevent further defections of his party’s members to the ruling APC.
In April, 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,’ 17 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, including Richard Akinnola, Abdul Mahmud, Dr. Sam Amadi, Auwa 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.
“Political pluralism is being eroded not by persuasion or performance, but by bribery, blackmail, and coercion.”
The group added, “Serving and former governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and key opposition figures are decamping en masse to the ruling party, not out of conviction, but out of fear and pressure.
“The pattern is disturbingly clear: an invitation by the EFCC for questioning on financial impropriety is swiftly followed by political capitulation. This weaponization of state institutions for partisan gain corrodes public trust and undermines the integrity of our democracy.
“We must say it clearly: a democracy without opposition is not a democracy. The presence of multiple, vibrant parties is not a luxury—it is the lifeblood of any democratic system. It provides citizens with real choices, ensures accountability, encourages debate, and fosters innovation in governance.”
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 were often followed by “political capitulation.”
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