Why can't Nigeria build a strong, ideology-based opposition to improve accountability like America's two-party system?

On this occasion of Democracy Day, it is time for us to reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic society. For Nigerians who were around during the dark days of military dictatorships, it is important that we appreciate the successes that we have achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria. But democracy without a corresponding commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity to the rule of play by stakeholders in conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to dictatorship tendencies. For our democracy to be fully fledged, it must constantly evolve away from the current practice where the governing elite determines the outcome of elections. When I often take stock of the activism that birthed the current democratic dispensation, I am even more convinced that much work still lies ahead. Democracy and the process of democratisation are a constant work in progress. While what we celebrate today is a return to civil rule in Nigeria, the desire to make our democracy self-sustaining and independent of anti-democratic elements is the new frontier of participation by all democrats.

Today, during a meeting with the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC), I emphasised the importance of protecting our democracy. I expressed concern over the APC's actions, leading Nigeria towards a one-party dictatorship. I urged IPAC, led by Yabagi Sani, to rally opposition parties to form a stronger front against this threat. I criticised @inecnigeria for conducting poor elections, including discrepancies in voter numbers. I called for the National Assembly to prioritise constitutional and electoral reforms, in particular electronic voting reforms, to ensure transparent elections and protect our democracy. I believe democracy, despite its flaws, is the best form of government, and I am committed to working with others in providing its preservation in Nigeria. -AA

I call on the political elite to unite in the noble mission of safeguarding our democracy from the brink of authoritarianism. Our founding fathers united under a common cause, championing our independence through peaceful, political activism. What we celebrate today is the fruition of their collective endeavors and those of subsequent generations. It is deeply regrettable that our current landscape reflects a troubling decline in electoral credibility, increasingly manipulated by those in power. Our political milieu has become corrosive; opposition parties languish in weakness, while the ruling party appears to manipulate internal processes to render them ineffectual. Nigeria teeters on the brink of a one-party dictatorship, and it is incumbent upon all politicians and statesmen of integrity to rise and reclaim our democracy from the encroaching shadows of oppression. In closing, I make an impassioned appeal to political leaders across all party lines: let us forge a formidable coalition, one that will provide Nigerians with a credible opposition capable of steering our beloved nation towards a promising future. -AA #October1

That, definitely, is not how to build institutions. That, certainly, is not how to fight the monster of corruption. Indeed, such tendencies provide the stimulant for corruption to thrive. We have seen how the EFCC has been used to empty opposition state governors into the ruling party, and the tea party is not about to end anytime soon. While the genuine fight against corruption is a matter that requires the total support of all Nigerians, the objectification of it as a political agenda should be roundly condemned by all in civil society spaces and friends of Nigeria in the international community. We have in recent times witnessed the use of anti-corruption agencies in coercing political leaders into the ruling party. Our assurance to Nigerians is that we would never succumb to this anti-democratic machinations of railroading our people into a one-party dictatorship. -AA

This afternoon, I received a delegation of young Nigerians led by Pastor Ukpola O. Chinedu from the Nigeria Electoral Reform Coalition (NERCO). I could relate to the urgency in their demands that the National Assembly amend the current electoral act to make electronic transmission of results from polling units mandatory. They are deeply worried that the current Act, which left the mode of transmission of results at the discretion of INEC, negatively impacted the 2023 general elections. They informed me that the group is not only pressuring the National Assembly on mandatory electronic transmission of results but also on taking the powers of appointing INEC officials from the President, vesting it on a transparent recruitment process by citizens. These efforts, they said, are aimed at demanding that every vote counts in our elections. I agree with the group that demanding transparent and credible elections is the way to go.

Question: Why have you moved between political parties several times, and why should Nigerians see those moves as a matter of principle rather than political convenience or personal ambition? Answer: Political parties, in practical terms, are a vehicle for contesting for political offices in a party-system democracy. That is the primary purpose of the political party. Unfortunately, our democracy in Nigeria has not matured to the point where whoever becomes president is subject to the supremacy of the party. Often, the president takes the reins in the ruling party and often constricts opposition from within, leaving no room for what we call internal democracy. In such situations, it becomes impractical for me to remain in the party knowing full well the party has become a one-man dictatorship. I don’t play the yes-man politics. I believe in competitive politics.