NIGERIA’S DEMOCRACY DRIFTING TOWARDS ONE-PARTY STATE – ANALYST WARNS
A public affairs analyst, Mr. Ikenna Ugwuanyi, has expressed concern over what he described as Nigeria’s gradual drift toward a one-party state, warning that such a trend poses grave danger to the nation’s democracy and development.
Mr. Ugwuanyi made the remark while speaking on “Matters of the Moment,” a live political programme on Sunrise FM, where he assessed the state of Nigeria’s democracy and the performance of key institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The programme was monitored by EnuguDaily.net
According to him, the country’s democratic system is currently not driven by ideology or genuine values that promote national development, but rather by the pursuit of power and control of political seats. “There are no real ideological or developmental values guiding our politics right now — it’s just about seats and power,” he said, rating Nigeria’s democracy at 50 percent.
He warned that the dominance of one political party across most regions of the country was unhealthy for democratic growth and could lead to political intolerance and lack of accountability. “We are now tilting toward a one-party state, which is very dangerous for our democracy and for the nation,” Ugwuanyi stated.
Speaking on the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the analyst argued that despite the introduction of new technologies, the commission has yet to earn the full confidence of the Nigerian electorate. He lamented that promises of real-time electronic transmission of election results were not fully realized during the 2023 polls, thereby undermining transparency.
“Innovation alone is not enough,” he said. “We have succeeded in creating strong individuals but failed to build strong institutions. When the President directly appoints the INEC Chairman, it weakens public trust in the system.”
Commenting on the recent wave of political defections and realignments across the country, particularly in the North, Mr. Ugwuanyi likened the trend to a political “integration and differentiation” process, saying there was nothing wrong with it in principle, but lamented that such movements in Nigeria are largely motivated by personal rather than ideological interests.
He drew parallels between the current realignments and those that preceded the 2015 elections, noting that while the 2015 scenario featured strong opposition parties, the present political landscape is heavily tilted in favor of one dominant party.
On the issue of insecurity, Ugwuanyi attributed much of the unrest to political missteps and self-inflicted problems, warning that actions taken without due consideration often yield negative consequences.
“The truth is, whoever brings home an ant-infested wood should not be surprised when ants come calling,” he said, in reference to the growing security concerns following recent diplomatic tensions that saw the Republic of Chad closing its borders with Nigeria.
Mr. Ugwuanyi concluded by emphasizing the urgent need for Nigeria to strengthen its democratic institutions, uphold ideological politics, and ensure fairness in governance to restore public confidence ahead of future elections.
