By Eshiorameh Sebastian, Abuja
The Presidency has dismissed claims by opposition figures and partisan activists that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat following recent high-profile defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, following an earlier statement by some activists and political leaders in the country raising the alarm that the present government was pushing the country into one party state.
The government described such allegations as baseless, insisting that democracy remains robust under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
The statement cited the recent declarations of support for Tinubu by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, among others, as evidence of a political shift driven by conviction rather than coercion.
It rejected accusations that the administration seeks to establish a one-party state, labelling such claims as the desperate tactics of an opposition weakened by internal disarray.
“Democracy is not imperilled simply because politicians exercise their right to freedom of association,” the statement read.
“Those now crying foul celebrated when former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and plotted an anti-Tinubu coalition. Their hypocrisy is glaring.”
The Presidency emphasised that Tinubu, a longstanding advocate of multiparty democracy, remains committed to upholding Nigeria’s democratic institutions. It urged critics to focus on substantive issues rather than peddling what it called “fictional narratives.”
“Under President Tinubu, democracy is strong, and the multiparty system will continue to flourish,” the statement concluded.
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