Fear or Fiction? Nasarawa Gov's Stance on One-Party State Fears

Following a recent wave of opposition party defections, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has dismissed rising concerns that Nigeria may be moving toward a one-party state under President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking to reporters Tuesday following a private meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Governor Sule made the comments.


Days after Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, former PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, publicly defected from the PDP to the APC, the meeting, which focused on internal party affairs and Nasarawa State governance issues, took place. The most recent of several high-profile political realignments that have raised concerns about the condition of Nigeria's multi-party democracy is their defection.

In response to a question about whether the wave of defections could result in the formation of a one-party state, Governor Sule stated that such worries were baseless.


"By no means do I think we are on the verge of becoming a one-party state," he said.


Nigeria should not be a one-party state at all, in fact. We just want to be the dominant party… It's okay if we receive 90% of the vote. Ten percent can be won by the other parties.

The governor maintained that broad public support for President Tinubu's reform plan was the reason behind the APC's increasing power rather than coercion or democratic backsliding.

He listed the administration's initiatives to reform the electricity sector, remove fuel subsidies, liberalize the economy, and invest in the development of agricultural and vocational skills as the main causes of political figures' support for the ruling party.

"Almost every reform will have its ups and downs when you start to see a lot of these efforts and reforms," he stated.

However, several of these improvements have significantly more benefits than drawbacks. Those who return to the party are therefore those who are happy with what they are witnessing.

The APC is trying to increase its national power before the general elections in 2027, thus Governor Sule's remarks come at a politically delicate moment.

In contrast, opposition parties like the Labour Party and PDP are still struggling with internal conflicts and declining support in a number of states.

While not unprecedented in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, observers have pointed out that the APC's concentration of political power runs the risk of silencing opposition voices and compromising accountability unless it is counterbalanced by a strong civil society, legitimate electoral procedures, and true intra-party democracy.

The governor updated President Tinubu on Nasarawa State's progress, especially in the fields of agriculture and energy, in addition to party concerns.

He pointed out that Nasarawa presently has the most mini-grid energy projects in the nation, which he attributes to the state's dedication to using renewable energy to promote rural development and agricultural expansion.