Nigeria becoming a one-party state, APC raises alarm

Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has lamented the absence of a vibrant and engaging opposition in the country that could help the nation in its journey to reorientation and growth.

APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, raised the concern that neither the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), nor the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had been able to play the conventional opposition role, thereby leaving the country to gravitate towards one-party state.

It also accused of the duo of PDP and the CUPP of abandoning their roles of “keeping the ruling party on its toes” for distracting government and Nigerians by contriving fictions and engaging in the blackmail and intimidation of critical state institutions with the hope gaining political favours.

It noted that there is no way democracy can survive when those who ought to serve as the conscience of the of the governing party are failing, adding however that the APC administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, had been working hard to change the narrative about Nigeria in the consciousness of the global community.

“As the current administration tackles our national challenges and at a period we all should focus on issues of nation building, the best PDP and its acolytes are offering is a distraction.

“While the PDP wallows in its obscene conducts, Nigeria under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration will continue to consolidate on its status as Africa’s largest economy. Despite inheriting a battered economy, the administration is growing the economy after pulling it out of recession.

“The administration’s record investments in agriculture, social investments and infrastructure projects is paying off hugely. For one, we are now currently the largest rice producing country in Africa as a direct result of conscientious efforts to diversify the economy.

“Our age-long corruption and impunity challenges is no longer the norm. The fight against corruption is on course. Collectively and individually, a reorientation in our national life and thinking is emerging. With the continued support of well-meaning Nigerians, we will do more for the shared prosperity, peace and progress of our dear nation.

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“Democracy cannot be said to be fully operational in a situation where the supposed ‘main’ opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has become a joke, irresponsible and rudderless. Even as the governing party, we recognize the importance of rigorous and intelligent interrogation of our policies and programmes by the opposition.

“There are a lot to gain by our democracy and our country in an atmosphere of robust engagement by responsible and patriotic opposition. The political system we practice has important roles for the political parties outside of power.

“The system envisaged that such parties would provide alternative viewpoints and put the governing party on its toes.

“Instead, the PDP and their minions have in the name of opposition continued to distract the government and Nigerians with their post-election delusions, salacious fictions, conjured rifts in government circle and of course the lowest of it all, the pathetic and senseless Jubril of Sudan malicious tale, among other fake news. Tragic!

“It is sad that PDP has finally proved incapable of filling this important democratic space. The other mushroom parties are even worse. Some of the smaller parties are filled with incurable charlatans issuing infantile weekly press statements on behalf of the PDP. Our democracy deserves better.

“The so called Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), which could have filled the vacuum and engaged the APC administration in useful debates over governance, has become a comedy theater group and frontline PDP minion. CUPP has the unenviable mandate to try to intimidate and blackmail important state institutions such as INEC, the judiciary, and security agencies, on behalf of PDP with the hope of gaining political advantage having been rejected by the majority of the voters,” the statement said.