Senior opposition leaders have issued a strong joint warning to President Bola Tinubu, accusing his administration of presiding over a “gradual slide” toward a de facto one-party state and systematically using state institutions to intimidate political opponents ahead of the 2027 general election. The leaders expressed deep concern that Nigeria’s anti-corruption and security agencies are increasingly perceived by the public as instruments of selective justice and political intimidation, rather than independent institutions committed to the rule of law.
The statement was jointly signed by influential figures from across the political spectrum, including former Senate President David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi; former PDP Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George; former APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; and Mallam Lawal Batagarawa.
The leaders asserted that there is a deliberate but covert effort to bring all state governments under the control of the ruling party, the APC, a goal allegedly pursued not through open electoral contests but through pressure exerted via anti-graft investigations. They identified opposition governors and influential political figures as the primary targets of this pressure.
The opposition pointed to the recent wave of defections of opposition governors to the APC, arguing this reinforces public suspicion that coercion, rather than political conviction or ideology, is behind the realignments. The leaders stated that more than ever before in Nigeria’s democratic experience, citizens have witnessed what many now describe as a covert, undemocratic agenda to ensure that all state governments fall under the control of the President’s party.
They accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being particularly vulnerable to political manipulation. The opposition alleged that cases involving members of the ruling party are often ignored or stalled, while even unsubstantiated accusations against opposition figures are “vigorously pursued and subjected to media trial.” The statement specifically recalled past remarks by a former APC national chairman suggesting that defectors’ ‘sins’ were forgiven upon joining the ruling party, arguing that the comment now symbolizes the perceived selective enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
The leaders warned that such practices undermine the credibility of the anti-graft fight, weaken public trust in state institutions, and risk fueling social and political instability, which “could snowball into mayhem as the nation approaches another election cycle.”
