Nigeria's opposition is being intimidated, PDP and LP agitates

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With the petitions related to the general elections of 2023 practically wrapped up, Nigeria is getting closer to becoming a one-party state.

The Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, recently admitted this while placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.

Conversely, the Labour Party (LP) maintains that the government has gained complete control over the fundamental institutions that shape democracy in the nation.

In 2015, the PDP was voted out of power and is currently the acknowledged front-runner in the opposition.

But the party doesn’t seem to be ready to take on the role of the nation’s opposition voice.

The situation has gotten worse as a result of the PDP and LP’s enormous exodus, with the remaining parliamentarians seeming less prepared to act as a dynamic opposition.

Speaking to Wakenews about the PDP’s setbacks at the hands of the judiciary and the current need for a vigorous opposition, Dr. Aliyu Danko, national publicity secretary of the Labour Party, claimed that some of the rulings made by the Appeal Court have done a great deal of harm to Nigeria.

The court rulings haven’t benefited Nigeria at all. Indeed, he continued, “They’ve muddied up some of the decisions made in our electoral process.”

And it is a reality. There have been instances where we initially believed that people were being bought off to act against the government, but over time, the institutions are being fully taken over.

For instance, the Nigeria Police faces significant difficulties in acting morally. We are claiming that the Nigerian people, who used taxpayer money to fund the police, no longer own the force and that the executive branch now controls it.

Analogously, the Independent National Electoral Commission came to serve as a conduit for the election of some undesirable lawmakers.

The court, which was meant to represent the ordinary man’s best fate, has vanished entirely into thin air.

They can no longer make independent decisions or decide cases clearly, and they pose grave inconsistencies to the Nigerian populace.

Thus, the system is already experiencing deterioration as a result of all of them. This is the reason why, rather than carefully examining and critiquing the document as it was delivered, they were occupied praising the President for his mandate, which they had previously illegally legalized, when he visited the national parliament to present the budget.

This is to inform you that they are still trying to internalize the exhilaration surrounding the illegality issue. That’s the reason why, except for a few members of the opposition political parties who might be prepared to carry out their civic responsibilities, you might not witness a vigorous discussion, challenge, or decisive argument in the National Assembly.

“But for now what we’re seeing is a jamboree of interest trying to legalise illegality. What I observe is a fearful antagonism. Even so, a few of them might be powerful. You’ll see that the group feels intimidated but not overly helpless.

Additionally, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s national publicity secretary, told Wakenews that Nigerians’ top priority right now should be to improve the voting system.

“I worry that democracy is being threatened in this way, especially with the compromise and the accountability of INEC.”

“INEC, which is responsible for maintaining democracy in this country, has repeatedly shown that it lacks integrity in the way it conducts elections.

“And INEC is equally complacent in those issues when you go to court.” The threat to democracy is the most important question.

The current condition of affairs is progressively moving us closer to a one-party state and totalitarianism, which is bad for democracy. We anticipate the court will carry out its duties as well. However, the institutions in charge of holding the polls pose the biggest obstacle.

Why did the president in office find it so simple to concede defeat? It was a result of the election’s credibility, fairness, and freedom. The electoral body acted impartially, as it ought to do.

“The judiciary alone must be willing to be a very powerful arm of the government and an institution that will help develop the democratic culture to ensure the preservation of the rule of law.”

Author

Wale Ponnle

A passionate writer of everything politics in Nigeria with the goal and purpose of bringing authentic information and unbiased news to everyone everywhere.

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