President Bola Tinubu has challenged opposition parties to stop blaming his administration for their internal failures, emphasizing that managing their affairs competently is their own responsibility. Speaking through his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President highlighted that democracy in Nigeria remains robust and is not under threat despite recent political defections.
The Presidency questioned why defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to opposition parties are celebrated, while defections from opposition ranks to the APC are condemned. “We have read the alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy over recent defections of key members of opposition parties into the governing All Progressives Congress,” the statement said.
Tinubu’s administration pointed to recent high-profile defections, including Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s support for the President, and the defections of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former vice presidential candidate Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as evidence of a shifting political landscape that has unsettled the opposition.
The statement dismissed accusations of authoritarianism as “baseless and exaggerated,” affirming that “no policy, official action or directive from the Presidency seeks to dismantle democracy or weaken the opposition.” It further condemned allegations of bribery and coercion as fabrications by politicians who have failed in their opposition roles.
“Contrary to the false claims in propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria,” the Presidency said. It urged Nigerians to respect freedom of association, speech, and choice, noting that those joining the APC do so out of belief in ongoing reforms.
The Presidency concluded by commending President Tinubu’s democratic credentials, recalling his role in galvanizing opposition forces to defeat a sitting president in the past, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a thriving multiparty democracy.
