Nigeria risks sliding into a one-party state, according to Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement. He warned that opposition parties like the Labour Party, PDP, and ADC have been infiltrated and captured by the current government using state resources. Tanko alleged that officials are deploying intimidation, corruption, and judicial manipulation to destabilise opposition formations. He cited instances where ministers openly claim plans to take over opposition parties without resigning from their original political homes.
Tanko described the democratic space in Nigeria as rapidly shrinking, with institutions being weaponised to stifle dissent. He pointed to the use of slush funds to lure governors into alignment with the ruling government, followed by blackmail based on how the money is spent. The judiciary, he said, is being used to arrest and jail political opponents rather than serve as an impartial arbiter. Electoral umpire appointments, he added, are made through a flawed presidential process, undermining the commission's independence.
He stressed that these actions threaten the foundation of Nigeria's democracy, warning that if unchecked, the country could become a de facto one-party state.
Yunusa Tanko has put into words what many quietly fear: the machinery of government is being used to hollow out opposition parties from within. When ministers openly plot takeovers of rival parties without consequence, it signals not just political aggression but institutional capture. This erosion of competitive politics means Nigerian voters are being steadily stripped of meaningful choice. If the trend continues, elections will become mere confirmations of power, not contests for it.
