One-party state: Why I’m not worried – Gambari

Professor Ibrahim Gambari has stated that he is not worried about Nigeria becoming a one-party state because it will not happen.

Owing to high-level defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opposition politicians have expressed fears over the likelihood of one-party state.

But addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Gambari who now chairs the Board of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), said if history is anything to go by, the quest for a one-party state will not be actualised.

The former Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari argued that there should be a measure to check the frequent case of defections in the country, adding that in other climes, ‘if you defect, you vacate the position because it belongs to the political party under which you emerged’.

He said, “On the political parties and the fear of a one-party state, I’m not worried about this country becoming a one-party state. You know what? You can quote me. It will not happen, if history is any guide. You know, we don’t even know our own history.

“This administration is not the first to try to have a dominant party in Nigeria. Right from the beginning, the NPC was a dominant party in the First Republic. They were not the ones who caused the crisis in the main opposition, but they didn’t discourage it. In fact, they took sides. Where has that led us? It didn’t lead us to peace or development; it led to chaos.

“The NPN was the successor. They became so confident they felt that they would be there forever. What happened to that? In the end, it didn’t work. Third one, PDP, not long ago they were boasting that they would rule for 60 years. Where are they today? So any effort to make this country one-party will not work. And sometimes, it will not work for the wrong reasons, because the political elites are too ambitious for the ambition to be contained within one political party.”

Gambari, however, cautioned, “But let’s not wait for disaster to happen. Let’s build political parties. That’s what has been missing. We have not paid enough attention as a people to political parties. We are, in a sense, super elite. We gather in this room. How many of us actually belong to any political party? How many of us here present have a party membership card? How many attend political party meetings?”

According to him strong parties will make one party State impossible, but because we have no organized political parties, our political parties have become just vehicles to gain political power. “That’s all. Because our constitution doesn’t allow for independent candidates, you have to belong, so it’s a party of convenience. Political parties are flags of convenience.”

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.