One Party State Dangerous – Jonathan Warns

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that it is dangerous for Nigeria to slide into a one-party state.
He spoke in Abuja on Wednesday while paying a tribute to the late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, at a memorial lecture and day of tribute. Clark, an Ijaw leader and politician, died in February at the age of 97.

Jonathan warned that any attempt to bring about a one-party state through political machinations to soothe only personal aspirations would be detrimental to the country.

Jonathan, however, stated that “If we must, as a nation, adopt a one-party system, then it must be designed, planned by experts—and we must know what we are going in for.”

“But if we arrive at it through the back door by political manipulations, then we are heading for crisis,” he warned.
Jonathan’s warning came on the heels of the alarm raised by some Nigerians that the country could be drifting into a one-party state, given the gale of defections from some opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defections had been perceived to have further weakened the opposition, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aside the defections, some PDP governors, including Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, are also believed to be supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid.

Jonathan acknowledged that some nations had successfully practised one-party systems under unique historical and social conditions, warning that Nigeria’s complex ethnic, religious and political landscape demands a more inclusive and carefully designed political framework.

He said: “Yes, one-party states—countries have managed them. Yes, a one-party state may not be evil after all, because Julius Nyerere of Tanzania used a one-party state to stabilise his country in the early days of independence. He felt that the country, just like Nigeria, had too many tribes and tongues, and two principled religions—Christianity and Islam.

“If we allow multiple parties, some may follow religious lines, others tribal, and unity will be difficult. But it was properly planned; it was not by accident.”

Jonathan also yesterday called on Clark’s family to, among other things, set up a yearly memorial lecture in his honour to continue to push his ideas and what he stood for, which according to him, is a united, equitable and prosperous Nigeria.

Some politicians and analysts have said that the defections of top politicians to the APC, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general elections, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, would also hinder the coalition being spearheaded by Atiku and a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-rufai.

On Tuesday, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule told State House reporters after meeting with President Tinubu that the APC did not want Nigeria to become a one- party state.

Sule said the APC was only interested in being the dominant party in Nigeria, capable of winning elections.

He described the mass defections into the APC as “a reflection of the performance of our party and the performance of Mr. President. Mr. President is carrying out a lot of reforms. We saw the first reforms. I don’t believe, by the slightest of imagination, that we are going to be a one-party state.”

The chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, emphasised the importance of unity in the country.

“Nigeria can only make progress when national interest is placed above personal ambition,” Gowon said.

Speaking at the event, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expressed concerns over what he called Nigeria’s fragile unity, emphasising the need for deliberate efforts to preserve it.
He emphasised the importance of national cohesion.

On his part, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, alleged that the labour of the country’s heroes past was already in vain.

According to the former Anambra State governor, “The labour of our heroes past is already in vain.
“The state of insecurity, poverty in rural communities, and the rising cost of living have all betrayed their sacrifices.”

Recent voices against one-party state

Recently, a group of 18 activists and intellectuals, under the auspices of Democrats, alleged what they described as a calculated and systematic effort by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dismantle the democratic foundations in Nigeria and reduce the nation to a one-party state.

“Under this administration, political pluralism is being eroded not by persuasion or performance, but by bribery, blackmail, and coercion,” the group had alleged, in its reaction to the mass movement of opposition party members to the APC.

A political analyst, Ikoro N. Ikoro, had posited that “If we run a system that says if you are not in the APC, then development cannot come to your area, then that is clearly unconstitutional. The Nigerian constitution, the laws and the federal character principle have been created to make sure that everybody will get what is due to them.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dayo Akinlaja, however, did not share the view that the country was tending towards a one-party party state.

“In my honest view, there is still a long way between now and 2027. So, it is still early in the day to conclude that there is unity of purpose in the ruling party. Dynamics change often, and political exigency never cease to throw up all manner of political configurations. It is safe to wait with bated breath in ‘siddon look’ posture.”

What the Presidency said

Recently, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, denied the claim that the president was promoting a one-party state.

He had stated, “Contrary to the false claims in the propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria. Accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated.
“The opposition cannot blame President Tinubu and the governing APC for their poor organisation, indiscipline, and gross incompetence in managing their affairs. It is certainly not part of President Tinubu’s job to organise or strengthen opposition parties.

“We want to state that democracy is not threatened or undermined simply because politicians exercise their rights to freedom of association. Nigerians migrating to the APC and expressing support for Tinubu are doing so out of their free will, based on the belief that the reforms being executed are in the interest of Nigerians and the unborn generation.”