By Eric Elezuo
Following the unanimous decision of the governors of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reject proposed merger and coalition with other political parties and interests, it appears that there’s an unspoken desire to facilitate, propagate and elongate the Bola Tinubu presidency beyond 2027.
The PDP governors had in Ibadan, during a meeting, dismissed speculations of a possible merger of parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who read the communique after the 2025/4th meeting, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said, “The Forum has resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger.”
He said PDP, as a major opposition party, will welcome any party, persons or groups that are willing to join the party with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027.
This assertion, according to stakeholders, who believe that the present PDP or any other party, cannot unseat Tinubu in 2027, appears to be a rubber stamp on the continuation of the Tinubu administration. Some have alleged that the some PDP governors may have sold out to the All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby refusing a coalition, that may likely unseat the APC government in 2027. They said that with the recent trend of events, it is obvious that Nigeria, under Tinubu is heading to an inglorious one-party status.
During the weekend, at a public function, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, confirmed support for President Tinubu saying in his state, there’s no more party politics as they are all in a “unity party” of PDP and APC.
In the same vein, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, has called on his people to support Tinubu, and by extension, his APC. Stakeholders believe it’s all about getting to nod for their second term in office. The scenario is also incumbent upon the governors of Enugu and Delta states, Peter Mba and Sheriff Oborevwori respectively, who are fast weighing their options.
Investigations, as reported by ThisDay, revealed that defection talks with many PDP governors have reached advanced stages. It was said however, that certain conditions are said to be attached to the proposed deals to make it a win-win situation for all negotiating parties.
It is therefore, no longer news, going by the way events are unfolding, that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is doing everything within its power to turn the country into a one-party state. Much as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is silent on the nation’s party system, it is a known fact that the country strives, and has been striving on multi-party convention.
However, events recent times, or dating to the advent of the Tinubu government, has revealed a trend that showed there is a tendency being hatched by the president to convert the country to a one-party state, loyal to the party at the centre, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is important to note that this unholy trend is not a function of the ballot papers or boxes or electoral propriety, but inordinate manipulations, using the instrumentality of the courts, judiciary, coercion, forced decamping, monetary inducement and outright intimidation.
It is a fact that since independence, Nigeria has maintained a multiparty system except in 1992 when the President Ibrahim Babangida Military Government, through a conference, allowed a two-party system, leading to the 1993 inconclusive elections, touted to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola. The two parties were the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Party (NRC). But with the return of democracy in 1999, the country has maintained a multiparty system, albeit conventionally.
But over the years, much as multiple parties are registered, only two are always the frontline parties, with clear exceptions of 1979 and 2023 when the regional inclination reared its head again as it was in the 1963 and 1966 elections.
In the 1960s, there were the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) and the Action Group (AG) among others.
In 1979, there were the National Party zof Nigeria (NPN), the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
And then in 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) slugged it out.
However, dating back to six months into the President Tinubu ascension to the throne, the political positions are making dramatic switches to the APC via court rulings, giving a cross sections of Nigerians the effontery to believe there is a hidden agenda to welcome a new Nigeria where political positions both elected and appointed are ‘allocated’ to Tinubu’s APC.
A few instances earlier emerged to raise eyebrows as regards the direction and shape Nigeria political landscape is taking. Among the instances are the following:
SACK OF ALL ELECTED PDP PLATEAU LAWMAKERS
Earlier in September, the Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Moses Sule was sacked by the state election petitions tribunal.
The election petition tribunal sitting in Jos, sacked the lawmaker, who was elected on the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) platform in the last election.
He was sacked alongside Danjuma Azi, a member representing Jos North West constituency in the assembly. The tribunal declared the former majority leader of the house, Hon. Naanlong Daniel and Hon. Mark Na’ah, all of the APC as winners of the March 18 elections.
In November, no fewer than four National Assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP including the Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, were sacked by the Appeal Court on the grounds that the PDP had no valid structure in the state. They were replaced with failed APC candidates including the former governor, Simon Lalong, who is now the Minister of Labour and Productivity, sparking unrest in the state.
THE THEN SACK OF ZAMFARA GOVERNOR
The Court of Appeal sitting Abuja sacked Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara and declared the March 18 governorship election in the state as inconclusive.
The court also ordered a rerun in three local government areas: Maradun, Birnin-Magaji and Bukkuyum.
Zamfara is currently governed by Mr Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, who defeated the then-incumbent governor, Bello Matawalle, of the APC. Matawalle is now the Minister of State for Defence in the Tinubu administration.
The election tribunal in Zamfara had earlier ruled in favour of Mr Lawal, but its ruling has now been overturned by the appeal court.
The Supreme Court however, overturned the ruling of the Appeal Court, and Lawal retained his seat.
SACK OF KANO STATE GOVERNOR
Also, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State.
In its judgment, the Appeal Court agreed with the judgment of the tribunal, ruling that the fielding of Abba Yusuf was in breach of the Electoral Law as he was not qualified to contest that Election
The verdict comes nearly two months after the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on September 20, sacked Yusuf, declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 election.
Yusuf, who contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the poll in March.
The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total as invalid votes, stating that the affected ballot papers were not stamped or signed and therefore declared invalid.
The ruling came about six months after the APC candidate conceded defeat to Yusuf in the wake of INEC’s presentation of the certificate of return to the NNPP candidate.
Observers and stakeholders see the judgment as a means of restoring Kano as an APC stronghold as well as returning its Chairman, and former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje as a force to reckon with in Kano politics in preparation for the 2027 election onslaught. But like in Zamfara, the Supreme Court restored Yusuf as duly elected governor.
KOGI AND IMO GUBER ELECTIONS
The candidates of the APC, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and Usman Ododo of Kogi State, were both declared winners of the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in the states, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) amid widely reported irregularities.
DailyPost reported that “lapses were recorded in the elections. There were controversies surrounding the data provided on the IReV. Allegations of pre-written results were rife. Worse still, INEC affirmed the controversial results despite alleged evidence of overvoting, disruption of the voting process and clear instances of security agencies aiding the snatching of ballot boxes.”
These were better showcased in Kogi State.
According to YIAGA Africa, one of the accredited observers for the elections, there were proliferation of the pre-filled result sheet in Polling Unit 020 in Eika/Ohizenyi, Okehi Local Government Area of the state.
The same development was witnessed in PU 004 in Eni Ward of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area. Yet INEC discountenanced the alarm, and went ahead to release results, and declare the APC candidate winner.
Some observers and Kogi political stakeholders have dismissed everything that happened to the handiwork of the incumbent Governor, Yahaya Bello. The governor hasninturn thank President Tinubu for the enabling environment to hold and win the election.
In Imo State, a Daily Post investigation reveals that videos were in circulation where security personnel were accused of allegedly helping the government in power disrupt the voting process, and make away with electoral materials.
The paper wrote: “One such incident happened at the Umuchoko Umuohiagu Junction Polling Unit in Ward 11 of Ngor Okpala LGA, where thugs allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) carted away ballot boxes and other election materials.
“This reportedly happened after the votes were counted and PDP led with 65 votes against APC’s 35 votes and LP’s 17 votes.
Following the alleged gross manipulation and rigging of the polls, some political parties and their candidates, rejected the results.
While Nigerians have expressed disappointment in INEC and their conduct of elections, it is still unclear whose agenda the electoral body is propagating; theirs or the government of the state?
“This government is just positioning itself for the final battle in 2027, and don’t care if they turned this nation into a one-party state. However, it is too early to begin such grandstanding when the elections are still over three years away,” a political analyst told The Boss
But countering the position, an APC stalwart in Lagos State, hinted that there is no better time to do what the party is doing at the present.
“This is the appropriate time to plant only APC members across the country, thanks to the court cases. You know it will be difficult to turn incumbents to party members after the court cases. Using the judiciary to achieve this aim makes everything absolutely foolproof. The party will come after whatever remnants are left in other parties at the conclusion of court cases,” the chieftain, who craved anonymity, said.
One and half years after, a lot more of shenanigans have cropped up, giving the impression that it’s either one supports Tinubu, or he is removed from the national political equation. The avalanche of crosscarpetings and outright support in the midst of economic downturn and hardships, are evidence that the road to a one-party Nigeria, is fast been cleared.
However, the likes of former presidential candidates of the PDP and Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, are making frantic efforts to achieve a coalition that can unseat Tinubu in 2023, but forces are frustrating the efforts, including their own party internal machineries.
