Aborisade warns against one-party system, says Tinubu playing dangerous politics

By : Rotimi Agboluaje

Date: 11 December 2025 3:53pm WAT

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

A governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State for the 2027 election, Chief Niyi Aborisade, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating what he described as the “most dangerous politics of our time,” warning that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state.

Aborisade, speaking in Ibadan amid a wave of defections from the opposition to the ruling party, alleged that many political actors were being coerced into joining the APC rather than crossing over voluntarily.

He said the trend is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and a deliberate attempt to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, the recent political crisis in Rivers State, culminating in the declaration of a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, exemplifies what he called “undue interference and intimidation” by the Federal Government. “Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers was not done in good faith. After reviewing the situation, it is clear that he failed to act as an unbiased umpire,” Aborisade said. “The action was a subtle threat to other governors. There were covert operations that followed, which forced many into the APC. This is not healthy for democracy.”

The PDP chieftain faulted the argument that the APC had become the ultimate destination for political stability, stressing that coercion, not conviction, was driving the defections. “Is APC the best party in Nigeria? The answer is no. Democracy is under threat under President Tinubu. The opposition is being silenced through what appears to be democratic means, but in reality, it is veiled dictatorship,” he said.

He referenced the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, describing it as a move “taken out of fear and lack of protection.” According to him, Fubara openly admitted to leaving the PDP because he felt unsafe and unprotected. “This is dangerous politics. Opponents are being forced to seek refuge in the APC, not because the party is performing well, but because state power is being used as a weapon,” Aborisade said.

He lamented that with the exodus of governors to the ruling party, only Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, remain as the last PDP governors in the country. He described the development as a deliberate strategy to cripple the opposition.

Despite the trend, Aborisade insisted that the defections would not ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 polls. Instead, he said Nigerians would judge the government based on prevailing economic and security conditions. “Are Nigerians better off under this government? Are they feeling the positive impact of governance?” he asked. “The unprecedented cost of fuel, food inflation, hunger, insecurity, kidnappings, epileptic power supply, the high cost of transport and air tickets, and the declining value of the naira — all these will be the real determinants of 2027, not the poaching of governors.”

The PDP aspirant said the APC, despite more than a decade in power, had “failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians,” and had presided over what he described as “a shambolic state of affairs.”

He warned that Nigeria “cannot afford to become a one-party state,” urging citizens, political leaders and civil society to resist the “systematic decapitation of opposition parties.” “Nigerians deserve better. This is not the democracy we yearned for,” Aborisade said. “If the APC government is performing well, why resort to coercion? I foresee Nigerians rejecting the APC in 2027.”

He called on citizens to rise in defence of democracy, insisting that the survival of the country’s political system depends on resisting political intimidation and safeguarding multiparty participation.

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