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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Nigeria’s opposition has raised fresh alarm over what it describes as an existential threat to the country’s democracy, accusing President Bola Tinubu-led government of deliberately shrinking political space and weakening rival parties to entrench a de facto one-party state.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe said Nigerians have endured nearly three years of one of the harshest periods in recent history, marked by punishing economic policies and a steady erosion of democratic freedoms under the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC).
The statement alleged that beyond economic hardship, the administration has pursued a calculated strategy to eliminate viable political alternatives. According to the opposition, this has left the APC “standing alone by default, not by merit,” despite what it called the party’s “manifest failures.”
It said the most troubling outcome of the Tinubu presidency so far has been the “systematic weakening of opposition parties,” warning that Nigeria is sliding toward authoritarian rule if the trend is not checked.
The statement credited patriotic leaders with recognizing the danger early and choosing resistance over silence by rallying around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the nucleus of a credible national alternative.
However, it accused figures aligned with the Presidency of attempting to destabilize the ADC from outside, particularly by making “reckless prescriptions” about the party’s internal affairs and its eventual choice of a presidential candidate.
“The ADC is on a national rescue mission,” the statement declared, adding that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other opposition leaders, is central to that effort. It warned that any call, “overt or covert,” for Atiku to step aside would amount to “a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
The opposition stressed that the ADC has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to an open, transparent and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer, insisting that “APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail or sabotage this democratic resolve.”
According to the statement, the party is currently focused on building strong structures at the ward, local government and state levels nationwide, urging “disruptors and infiltrators” to allow it carry out this foundational work without interference.
Reaffirming the ADC’s openness, the statement said the party remains welcoming to all genuine opposition figures, arguing that “this inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy.”
“When the time comes, all qualified aspirants will present themselves freely. No one is stepping down,” it said, turning the argument back on the President: “If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu, whose leadership has become a national liability.”
The statement also referenced the recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, describing the city as “the political heartbeat of the Southeast.” It claimed the move triggered “open boasts” by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the party, which it said exposed the ruling party’s fear.
“Let there be no ambiguity,” the statement concluded. “The ADC is determined to end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC. No amount of intimidation, intrigue or sabotage will derail this rescue mission. Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight.”