The African Democratic Congress has alleged a coordinated attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the forthcoming general election, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into a one-party state if what it described as the “growing assault on democracy” is not checked.
The party’s position followed the decision of the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja to set aside its earlier judgment recognising the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), a development the ADC said fits into a broader pattern of actions aimed at shrinking the country’s democratic space.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed concern over what it called a succession of legal and administrative actions targeting opposition parties, insisting that the trend poses a grave threat to constitutional democracy.
“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space, and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement read in part.
According to the ADC, the controversy surrounding the NDC goes beyond the fortunes of a single political party and strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s democratic system.
“When opposition parties are persistently distracted by manufactured controversies and prolonged legal uncertainty, the real casualty is the Nigerian people’s right to freely choose among credible political alternatives,” the party stated.
The ADC also accused the President Bola Tinubu-led government of creating conditions that undermine fair political competition, arguing that democratic governance thrives on institutional neutrality and equal treatment of all political actors under the law.
“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the statement added.
With less than a year to the general election, the opposition party urged the judiciary to protect its independence and avoid actions capable of eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” Abdullahi said.
The party further warned that any perception that the courts were being deployed for partisan political objectives could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
Calling for collective action, the ADC appealed to opposition parties, civil society organisations, the legal community, organised labour, the media, and Nigerians to unite in defence of democratic institutions.
“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative. We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement further read.
It also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against any attempt to intimidate or silence opposition voices, stressing that the rights to political participation and freedom of association are constitutional guarantees that must be protected.
“The Constitution guarantees freedom of association, political participation and the right of citizens to freely choose their leaders. Those rights are not concessions from any government; they are constitutional guarantees that must be defended by all,” Abdullahi stated.
The ADC maintained that it would continue to resist what it described as efforts to undermine multi-party democracy and pledged to stand with all Nigerians committed to preserving democratic governance.
The Punch
