Centre warns against one-party State, cites Zimbabwe example, others

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 15 December 2025 5:17am WAT

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Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi

Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi

Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Ibrahim Zikirullahi, has warned Nigeria to avoid a one-party State, saying that nations that experienced it in the past had and still have bitter experiences to share.

Noting that nations that experienced one-party rule have become examples of how greed, arrogance, and the lust for power have eroded democratic institutions, the centre said Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads, as the gale of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm bells.

“Governors, senators and House of Representatives, who once rode to power on the back of opposition platforms now find themselves coerced, bribed, or pressured into joining the ruling party. This trend is not merely political manoeuvring, it is the slow but steady march toward a one-party state, a civilian dictatorship cloaked in democratic garb,” he said.

Citing examples of nations that suffered a similar fate in the past, he said: “In Kenya, what began as a liberation movement quickly degenerated into a monopoly of power. Politicians defected to ZANU-PF not because of better governance but to secure personal survival and access to state resources. The result was hyperinflation, economic collapse, and mass migration. Citizens paid the price while elites enriched themselves.

“Russia under United Russia: Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of power was not about policies that improved the lives of ordinary Russians. Instead, it was about silencing dissent and rewarding loyalists. Opposition leaders were jailed or exiled, while the ruling party became a rubber stamp for authoritarian decisions. Wars and international isolation followed, leaving ordinary Russians to suffer.

“Cameroon under CPDM: Paul Biya’s decades-long rule has been sustained by defections and patronage. Politicians cross over to the ruling party not to serve citizens but to secure protection and privileges. The result is civil unrest, economic stagnation, and humanitarian crises.”

He also cited Kenya under KANU in the 1980s as another example, stressing that Daniel Arap Moi’s one-party dominance was built on corruption and suppression of dissent; adding that defections were rewarded with patronage.

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