Opposition leaders issue stark warning over democracy threat

 Opposition leaders issue a democracy threat warning, accusing the government of politicising anti-graft agencies and undermining multiparty rule

Prominent Nigerian opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, African Democratic Congress National Chairman Senator David Mark, Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees member Chief Bode George and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, on Sunday warned that Nigeria’s democracy is under growing threat from what they described as the politicisation of state institutions by the government.

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In a joint statement released in Abuja and endorsed by former All Progressives Congress National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and former minister Lawal Batagarawa, the leaders accused federal authorities of using anti-corruption agencies to intimidate and weaken opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Titled “Anti-Corruption, Not Anti-Opposition”, the statement alleged that institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are increasingly perceived as tools of selective justice rather than impartial guardians of accountability.

The signatories warned that recent defections of opposition governors to the ruling party had heightened public suspicion that political pressure, rather than conviction, was driving realignments, describing the trend as a dangerous assault on Nigeria’s multiparty system.

They argued that the alleged weaponisation of the EFCC had eroded public trust in the anti-graft fight, pointing to what they described as uneven enforcement of corruption allegations involving members of the ruling party and the opposition.

The statement said the perceived loss of institutional independence posed a grave risk as the country approached another election cycle, cautioning that unchecked political injustice could destabilise the nation.

As part of their demands, the opposition leaders called for the immediate depoliticisation of the EFCC, a return to its statutory mandate and stronger safeguards to protect multiparty democracy.

They also proposed the creation of an independent review body to examine public accounts across all tiers of government from 2015 to 2025.

Calling on Nigerians to remain vigilant, the leaders urged citizens across political, regional and religious lines to defend democratic values, insisting that Nigeria must not slide into a de facto one-party state.

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They concluded that the survival of the country’s democracy depends on collective courage and accountability, warning that silence in the face of perceived injustice could imperil the nation’s political future.

Peculiar Adirika