The One-Party State: Is Nigeria’s Democratic Future At Stake

The recent influx of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has led to speculations that the ruling party may be trying to eradicate all opposition parties and gunning for a one-party system in the country.

A ‘One-Party State’ is a political system where all governmental power is held by a single political party, as exemplified by the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership in the People’s Republic of China.

Following the recent defections to the ruling party, the opposition has blamed the APC for their predicament, insisting that the party has a hand in the mass defection of elected governors, federal and state lawmakers.

The APC has been fingered in the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

However, the ruling party has stated that it has absolutely no interest in running a one-party system

While speaking during a television interview, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated that defections do not suggest the APC is trying to eliminate the opposition or push for a one-party system.

He recalled that when the PDP was in power, it controlled over 28 states, yet it was not accused of harbouring a one-party ambition.

“When the PDP was in power, the party controlled over 28 states without being accused of turning the country into a one-party state,” he said.

According to him, many people are going to the APC because they want to be part of the winning process in the party

“Many of these people are coming in and saying, we want to be part of the process. We want to identify with that process. There’s nothing wrong with that. And you know, that does not mean that we desire for Nigeria to become a one-party system,” he said.

However,  the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, stated that there is nothing wrong with Nigeria embracing a one-party state.

The former governor of Kano argued that China has one of the strongest economies in the world and operates a one-party state.

According to him, “Too many cooks spoil the soup; too many political parties spoil governance.”

He said, “Leaders worried about a one-party state have no need to fear. A one-party state is not by force; it is by negotiation. It is by other political parties seeing the effect of the positive governance of our party. If they decide to come to our party willingly, I think there is nothing wrong with that.

“Today, China is one of the strongest countries in the world and is a one-party system. We are not saying we are working for a one-party system, but if this is the wish of Nigerians, we cannot quarrel with that.”

However, research carried out by Naija News has suggested that China’s economic success is complex and cannot be attributed solely to its one-party system. While the one-party system offers stability and centralised decision-making, which can be beneficial for large-scale projects and rapid economic development, it also has potential drawbacks, such as limited innovation and reduced accountability.

Additionally, China’s economic growth has been fueled by various factors beyond its political structure, including open-market reforms, massive investment in infrastructure, and a large, relatively cheap labour force.

What Does The Nigerian Constitution Say About Operating A One-Party System 

While the 1999 Nigerian Constitution does not explicitly prohibit a one-party system, it contains provisions related to political parties and their activities that, in effect, promote a multi-party environment.

The Constitution doesn’t have a specific section that forbids the establishment of a one-party system. Section 222 of the constitution allows for the formation of political parties but with certain restrictions, such as the requirement for a minimum number of members and a registered constitution and rules.

As of today, Nigeria has 19 registered political parties officially licensed by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Speaking in an exclusive with Naija News, former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Kaka, has dismissed reports of a one-party state and attributed the defections to the opposition wanting a taste of the national cake.

What are your thoughts on the recent waves of defections at the party, and what are the reasons for such an occurrence?

“Multiplicity of reasons is responsible for such actions. The primary cause is a lack of ideological reorientation in our polity.

“Where you have a good ideological orientation, come rain or sunshine, you stand committed to that ideology. And whether you are in victory or in defeat, you still pursue that ideology, hoping that you will have the opportunity tomorrow to make a difference.

“But unfortunately, we have stomach infrastructure invented, and greed and poverty are at the top of it all. Because by the time we have millionaires, billionaires, cross carpeting indiscriminately, what do you say? We will say it is unfortunate.

“But perhaps the other root cause is the lacuna in our constitutional and electoral law.

“If the movement they made is difficult for would-be cross-capturers, then the trading going on in the society will be limited to the barest minimum.

“In any way, I am sure you are aware that I am a member of APC, so the more we are, the merrier since politics is a matter of numbers and both the sane and the insane, once they can come to terms with reality and get to the polling booth to thumbprint the ballot paper they are welcome into our party. So, that’s just it. But on the matter of principle, it should not be encouraged.”

There have been speculations from different political stakeholders stating that the reason these people are defecting is that they are scared of the EFCC.

“These are mere wishful thinking. As a person, I do not have access to their book of accounts. So, if I don’t, I am not capable of making any comments on what I don’t know. If it happens to be true, then let the people making the allegations go and verify. And the fact that people defect from one party or another shouldn’t be stopped. We are talking of a formidable institution. EFCC, as an institution, ought not to be distracted by politicians’ activities.

“And if they decided to, by the time the institution is destroyed, then we have nothing left to fall back upon.

“So, all those institutions, including the police, the military, the EFCC, and the ICPC, are supposed to be doing their job as prescribed in the act establishing them. Failure to do that is that we are in a lawless country. And that’s not what we are praying for. So, let’s hope that sanity will prevail.”

So, what do you think are the implications of these defections for the opposition parties? There are hot takes that the APC might be trying to create a one-party state

“So, what I think is inconsequential. It is entrenched in the Constitution that, as individuals, we have the freedom of association.

“If we have freedom of association, and there is no limit to my movement. There is nothing anybody can do about that.

“So, if anybody is exploring the lacuna that exists within our provisions and they are using it to their own selfish advantage, We shouldn’t blame them, we should blame the system.

“We should find a way of fine-tuning the institutions so that they will be up to the expectation of their responsibility, and in the process of doing what is right, then sanity will prevail within the society.”

So, with the influx of these opposition into the ruling party, do you think this will lead to a change in policy direction or governance style?

“By the time somebody in the opposition decided to hop the gap of opposition and join the ruling party. It implies that he or she has subscribed to the ruling party’s policies. As simple as that.

“So, they have forfeited their rights to be called or referred to as opposition members.

“Maybe they are tired of being in the opposition, or maybe, like we said earlier, they are hungry to have a bite of the cake. So, whichever way, they have their free choice.

“They must weigh the pros and cons before they take the plunge. So, we can only wish everybody the best of luck.”

What do these defections mean for the Nigerian democracy?

“A democracy that is not this on ideological differences will never offer credible alternatives. If you like, call it a choice to the electorate, and once they are not given a credible choice. It’s like the sheep without the shepherd wandering aimlessly.

“I have told you that our democracy remains at the evolution stage.

“How long will the evolution take place, I don’t know.  We are like a toddler. That is almost thirty, yet I cannot walk or run. So, we have a long way to go. You know, the age of the country now, 1960 to down. And yet, we are still behaving like a baby requiring a feeding bottle.

We all know what is right from what is wrong. If the constitution is faulty, we have advocated lets jettison the constitution and get a new constitution, probably along the first Republic constitution. Where the parliamentary system of government will be given teeth to function effectively, economically, and, of course, with a lot of accountability in favour of the people we are supposed to be governing.

“That is the fact of the case. If you are not ready for democracy, maybe we can try other forms of governance.”

As the APC continues to attract defectors from opposition parties, the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s next for Nigeria’s democracy? Will the ruling party’s growing dominance lead to a one-party state, or will opposition parties regroup and challenge the status quo? One thing is certain: the future of Nigeria’s democracy hangs in the balance, and the coming days will be crucial in determining the country’s political trajectory.

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