by Uchechukwu Okoroafor, Abuja
The political landscape of Nigeria took a seismic turn with the announcement that Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entirety of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) machinery in the state have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This development, revealed on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at the Government House, has not only shaken the foundations of opposition politics in Delta State, but also sent tremors across the national democratic terrain.
Even more alarming are the reports indicating that other governors elected on the PDP platform may be preparing to follow suit—essentially leaving Nigeria with a near-monopoly of political power under the APC. This trend portends a dangerous drift toward a one-party state—a situation that imperils the core tenets of democracy, undermines checks and balances, and threatens the very fabric of Nigeria’s political pluralism.
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Democracy is healthiest when it is competitive. The essence of a functioning democratic system lies in its ability to accommodate multiple parties, divergent views, and alternative leadership options. When one party begins to dominate the political sphere to the point where opposition becomes merely symbolic, democracy is no longer participatory; it becomes performative. In such a climate, the ruling party is emboldened to act with impunity, unburdened by the fear of electoral consequence or legislative resistance.
The mass defection of high-ranking PDP officials to the APC does not only reduce the number of dissenting voices—it all but obliterates them in regions where the PDP previously had a stronghold. Delta State, once a bastion of PDP ideology and a pillar of Nigeria’s political diversity, now stands absorbed into the monolithic structure of the ruling party. The ramifications of this extend far beyond Delta; they speak to the erosion of a vibrant opposition that is essential to any thriving democratic society.
These defections also highlight a deeply flawed and transactional political culture in Nigeria—one in which ideology, principle, and service are subordinate to personal ambition and political expediency. Politicians move from one party to another not out of conviction, but out of convenience. There is no sense of accountability to the electorate who voted based on party manifestos and philosophical leanings. Instead, the electorate is taken for granted, as if their votes were mere pawns in elite political chess games.
This culture breeds cynicism, apathy, and distrust in the electoral process. If party loyalty can be traded like stock and opposition parties dismantled by absorption, then what incentive do citizens have to participate in elections? Why should the public invest hope or faith in political actors who do not stand for anything beyond self-interest?
The concentration of political power in one party is dangerous not merely because it stifles competition, but because it erodes democratic oversight. A dominant party can influence legislative agendas, manipulate the judiciary, control the media narrative, and suffocate civil society. It can rewrite laws, redraw electoral boundaries, and entrench itself in power indefinitely.
We need only look to historical and contemporary examples—Zimbabwe under ZANU-PF, Uganda under the National Resistance Movement, or Russia under United Russia—to see the destructive potential of one-party dominance. In these cases, the absence of real opposition has led to authoritarianism, human rights abuses, economic stagnation, and political repression.
Nigeria, as Africa’s largest democracy, must not go down this path. The strength of our democratic experiment is not in the victory of one party over another, but in the healthy coexistence of multiple, competing ideas and the peaceful alternation of power through free and fair elections.
The defection of the Delta PDP contingent and the rumoured moves by other PDP governors cannot be divorced from the political calculations at the federal level. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a master strategist and incumbent president, commands significant influence. But if his administration encourages or benefits from a systematic dismantling of the opposition through coercion, inducement, or patronage, it would be a disservice to the democratic ideals he swore to uphold.
Some may argue that these defections are voluntary and strategic, but that alone does not sanitize the long-term implications. In fact, it raises questions about the resilience of political institutions in Nigeria. If a party that governed Nigeria for 16 years (as the PDP did) can unravel so easily, what does that say about the institutional capacity of our democracy? And what mechanisms exist to protect the opposition space from collapse?
In this precarious moment, the burden falls on Nigeria’s democratic institutions to act as bulwarks against authoritarian drift. The judiciary must remain impartial and vigilant against the manipulation of laws and abuse of power. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must reaffirm its independence and actively protect the integrity of the multiparty system. Civil society organizations must resist the temptation to align blindly with power and instead advocate for the preservation of democratic diversity.
Furthermore, the media has a critical role to play. It must continue to investigate, inform, and illuminate the consequences of one-party domination. Silence or complicity by the press would only accelerate Nigeria’s slide toward undemocratic consolidation of power.
If Nigeria is to retain its standing as the beacon of democracy on the African continent, its political class must rise above pettiness and patronage. Political parties must become ideological vehicles, not personal platforms. Defections should not be celebrated as victories, but interrogated as symptoms of systemic decay.
We call on the PDP, and all opposition parties, to reorganize, re-energize, and reconnect with the electorate. Let this moment serve as a wake-up call. The future of Nigeria cannot rest solely on the shoulders of one party—no matter how powerful or popular it appears in the short term. Democracy thrives on diversity, debate, and dissent.
Likewise, we urge President Tinubu to publicly reaffirm his commitment to a multi-party democracy. Let his legacy not be the death knell of opposition politics in Nigeria. Rather, he should work to strengthen political inclusivity, electoral fairness, and democratic norms.
The mass defection of Delta State’s PDP leadership to the APC is more than a local political shake-up—it is a flashing red light for Nigeria’s democracy. A one-party state is not progress. It is regression.
Let this editorial be a clarion call to all Nigerians—politicians, voters, civil society, and institutions—that democracy is not a gift to be taken for granted. It is a fragile inheritance that must be guarded, nourished, and defended.
Let us act now, before the echo chamber of power becomes so loud that all other voices are silenced. For once democracy becomes a monologue, tyranny is never far behind.