Amid growing agitations by members of the opposition, alongside concerns raised by political analysts and public commentators over the perceived weakening of opposition politics in Nigeria, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, speaks on the issue.
In this interview, Tanko addresses claims of opposition suppression, alleged institutional interference, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s democracy.
Assessing the Current State of Opposition Politics
Well, practically, the opposition party in Nigeria today has been captured by the government of the day. I say this with all sense of responsibility and participation. The government of the day has powers, using state resources, to intimidate, infiltrate, and create chaos in almost all the major opposition political parties.
An example is the Labour Party, followed by the PDP, followed by the ADC; the current situation at the moment is that all other political parties have been infiltrated by the government and captured accordingly; not for progress, but for personal aggrandizement, thereby setting the country on a one-party stage with total destruction to democracy.
Growing Concerns of Opposition Suppression
With what you have just said, and with so many comments from political analysts and members of the opposition, there are growing concerns that the current administration is deliberately weakening opposition voices. How valid is this claim?
It is very valid, and that is exactly what I just explained to you. Interestingly, not only are they infiltrating and weakening the opposition parties, they are also using judicial apparatus to legitimise their actions.
Some would say, why are the opposition political parties not having the same sagacity as the government in power? These are two different things. If the playing field is equal, manipulation should not be seen as a legalised way of doing politics.
I will give you an example. There is no way a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should go to another party openly saying that he is going to capture the other political party and keep it in abeyance of the government in power, and has also refused to resign from the party he was elected from.
So, they are using all government apparatus to institutionalise and create uncertainty for the party. These are facts that can really be accessed by anybody in the public domain.
Shrinking Democratic Space
Of course. Not only is the democratic space shrinking, if care is not taken, we are witnessing the total destruction of democracy in the most populous African nation of the black race.
That is the reason why those who promote and defend democracy should act fast and cut the wings of those who are trying to use political power to strangulate democracy and make it unattractive on the African continent.
Because if it is allowed to happen in Nigeria, then no African country will survive it.
Specific Developments Fueling Concerns
One is the infusion of corruption into the system and the use of legal means and corrupt institutions in order to fight both the opposition and those who challenge the government.
A governor is being induced by slush funds to make him look as if he is benefiting from the government. At the same time, they monitor how the money is spent and use it to blackmail him, even threatening to jail him if he does not do their bidding.
These are practical examples. What may seem like development for your people could actually be a trap. It is said that many governors are aligning with the government of the day, not on their personal volition, but because of inducement seen in the public space.
Among opposition leaders, you have also seen cases where the judiciary is not allowed to perform its functions independently. Rather, it is being used to intimidate, maim, arrest, and jail, so that it subdues individuals to do the bidding of the government.
Interestingly also, the political umpire, which is INEC itself, has been cajoled. You cannot say there is truly independent politics with INEC. It has become so bad to the point that INEC cannot take decisions on when it should act in order to serve the interests of its masters.
These are facts in both social media and conventional media, and we are witnessing this bizarre level of unconstitutionality.
Governors Aligning with the Ruling Party
No, it is more than coincidence. It is intimidation combined with coercion and strangulation.
It creates fear when you realize you have been trapped, and then that trap is used against you. This is a practical example of what is happening in the system at the moment. No country is immune to this kind of situation, especially when the economy is largely controlled by the government.
However, we use this opportunity to appeal to the state security agencies to come to the defense of the people and the country in general.
Electoral Umpire and Fairness
Unfortunately, the electoral umpire has also been captured. What we were agitating for initially was to have an electoral umpire that is independent.
Following the Justice Mohammed Uwais report, we provided a clear process where candidates would be publicly advertised and selected based on merit to ensure independence.
Unfortunately, the situation is not so. What we have is not a truly independent electoral commission, but a semi-independent one with strings attached, where appointments are made by the President through a flawed process that produces preferred candidates. Integrity has been thrown to the dustbin. Power and personal interest have become the order of the day.
Prospects for Opposition in 2027
Yes, it can. At the moment, it is the people against the power in governance, and the people are more. If they come out, make their decisions, and demand the right thing to be done, the country will be reset in the right direction. We can then have a clean, free, and fair election that will usher in a government of the people.
The Way Forward
There is a need for urgent action to protect democracy and ensure that the system works for the people.