Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has criticised the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, warning of a growing shift toward a one-party state. Speaking after the African Democratic Congress (ADC) state congress in Sokoto on Saturday, Tambuwal accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of dismantling opposition parties and undermining Nigeria's multiparty democracy. He alleged that the APC had infiltrated opposition parties including the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, claiming there was now a push for all parties to endorse Tinubu as a sole candidate. "The APC-led government has destroyed opposition in this country," Tambuwal said. He described Sokoto as the base of the ADC's national expansion, praising the party's recent grassroots, local government, and state-level congresses as transparent and orderly. Tambuwal credited party members for their discipline during the process. He condemned the federal government for failing to address insecurity, economic instability, and rising unemployment, stating that Nigerians were suffering from hunger and deepening poverty. Tambuwal accused the ruling party of planning to use financial inducements to influence votes in the 2027 elections, urging citizens not to trade their future for short-term gains. He also alleged that democratic institutions, including the judiciary, were being manipulated to suppress dissent. Tambuwal insisted that the ADC would remain a strong opposition force, declaring, "We are standing firm, no shaking."
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal's broadside against the Tinubu administration is less about ideology and more about political survival in a shrinking opposition space. His claim that the APC has "infected" parties like the PDP, LP, and NNPP points to a real and observable trend—opposition fragmentation through defections and internal crises that often align suspiciously with federal influence. That Tambuwal chose Sokoto, a stronghold of ADC's structure, to make these allegations is strategic, positioning himself as a rare opposition figure with both organisational presence and national ambition. His warning about a "dangerous drift" toward a one-party state gains weight when viewed alongside the near-collapse of credible opposition coordination after the 2023 elections.
The economic grievances Tambuwal raised—rising poverty, unemployment, insecurity—are not new, but his framing ties them directly to democratic erosion. When he accuses the government of planning to "deploy resources to buy votes," he is referencing a well-established playbook where fiscal power becomes a political weapon. The implication is clear: without institutional safeguards, elections become contests of financial muscle rather than policy or popularity. His emphasis on the ADC's orderly congresses contrasts sharply with the chaos seen in other parties, suggesting an attempt to project credibility amid widespread cynicism about political leadership.
For ordinary Nigerians, especially the youth and the economically distressed, this struggle over political space could mean fewer real choices at the ballot box. If opposition parties are weakened or co-opted, voter apathy may deepen, particularly in regions like northwest Nigeria where insecurity and poverty are already acute. Tambuwal's promise that "this time, no one will rig us out" resonates with a public weary of electoral manipulation, but it also underscores a deeper crisis of trust in the system.
This moment fits a broader pattern: Nigeria's democracy is becoming less about competition and more about containment. The state's growing ability to absorb or isolate dissenting voices—through patronage, legal pressure, or political engineering—suggests a system tilting toward managed pluralism. Tambuwal's resistance may be symbolic, but it highlights the narrowing runway for credible opposition in the 2027 cycle.
