The recent declaration by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, would cease to exist by the end of this year, 2025, has raised a fresh concern among Nigerians, particularly close watchers of development in PDP.
The comment has also called into question the activities of some bigwigs in the party who are clearly working for the APC but still holding sway in the party.
Ganduje made the declaration while responding to the former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who had earlier stated that the APC would soon implode and disintegrate, a situation he said would force the return of the likes of Ganduje and other runaway members of the party to its fold.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to Ganduje, Edwin Olofu had dismissed Lamido’s remarks as baseless and illogical.
According to him, the APC chairman and former Governor of Kano State said he has no reason to leave the APC for what he described as a ‘failing opposition.’
“In fact, we will soon receive Sule Lamido because very soon he won’t have anywhere to go. The PDP is dead,” he said.
Ganduje added that internal divisions within the PDP would lead to its collapse before the end of 2025.
“It is evident to any discerning observer that under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the APC continues to gain momentum, with prominent political figures across the country defecting to the party in large numbers.
“With such overwhelming national support, the APC remains focused on consolidating its achievements and preparing for a resounding victory in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
He reaffirmed his pride in leading the APC, which he described as the largest political party in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
He said his leadership was committed to deepening internal democracy and advancing sustainable governance, even as he urged Lamido to focus on the challenges within the PDP rather than making unfounded claims.
Ganduje had earlier said there was nothing wrong if Nigerians decide to have a one-party system of government, citing China as a perfect example of one party state that is doing well politically, economically and even socially
He made the remarks while reacting to whether the wave of defection of opposition politicians to the ruling APC would not slide Nigeria into a one-party state. Citing China as an example of a working one-party state, he said: “China is one of the strongest countries in the world, and it’s a one-party system.
“We are not saying we are working for a one-party system, but if that is the wish of Nigerians, we cannot quarrel with that,” he said.
However, following the rate of defection of politicians from other parties to the ruling APC in recent times, there is a growing fear in certain quarters that Nigeria might be headed for a one-party state.
Some political analysts and a couple of Nigerians are daily expressing the fear that if nothing is urgently done to arrest the spate of defections to the APC, Nigeria could, possibly, relapse into a one party state.
This fear was reinforced when Ganduje came up with the declaration that there is nothing wrong if that happens in Nigeria, after all China is a one party state and it is doing great.
But there are those who believe that Nigeria can never descend into a one party state. They insisted that Nigeria is such a complex political system that when all the governors decide to defect to the ruling APC, a new set of governors would emerge.
Leading the apologists of this belief is the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo.
Adebayo has assured that nothing of such would ever happen in Nigeria because according to him there’s no one system of welfare, employment or security. In other words, he noted that there is no way the poor and the rich can be in a coalition.
He said: “There’s no one system of employment. There’s no one system of security. The benefits of politics are flowing in the direction of politicians and a welfare politician changing from party to party cannot say he’s in the same coalition with the poor, who cannot pay their children’s school fees, who cannot sleep well at home and who cannot keep a job.”
“And if they have a job, the pay from that job cannot satisfy one percent of their needs. So, there cannot be a one-party state when this is not a welfare state, when it is a selfish accumulation of money for the few who are in the ruling class and the wretched people who are on the streets,” he further said in an interview with DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS.
Explaining further the impracticability of Nigeria turning into a one party state, he drew the line between the rich and the poor, saying, “How can people who are standing in the rain waiting for a car to carry them be a one-party system with those who are using multiple private jets paid for by the public? It is not possible.”
He noted that massive defection of politicians to one party does not guarantee a one party state, rather what makes a one party state, according to Adebayo, is when they decide that they don’t need any other party outside the ruling party or when there is a ban on registration of new parties.
“So, if all the governors go to one party, Nigeria will choose a new set of governors. If all the senators go to one party, Nigeria will choose another set of senators.
“Defection to the ruling party doesn’t make a one-party state. What makes a one-party state is when people think that they don’t need any other party outside the one that is ruling, or when people are being forced by law not to create another party.
“In Nigeria, you can create as many parties as you want, but what is going to sustain the party is whether the members of the party believe in that party. And that’s what we’ve been trying to work on since we started leading the SDP, to make sure that only those who believe in the party join the party. So, there cannot be a one-party state, when our politics is not based on one set of ideas because everybody will form a party based on the ideas they are pursuing.”
Also, the president of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr Pogu Bitrus, does not believe that Nigeria can descend into a one party state. Reacting to the concern being expressed in some quarters and Ganduje’s position, he said: “No, I don’t believe that Nigeria can become a one party state.
“Although things are falling apart in the major opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, I believe that those in the party’s leadership, especially the trustees will use wise counsel to keep things in order so that the PDP will remain a viable opposition.
“Whether or not that opposition will result in victory in 2027 is another thing but I don’t believe that the party will disintegrate.
“The party will still come together. A few individuals, who want power by all means, are the problem with the party but I think that will be resolved, and then, the PDP will be on course, with new blood injected into it so that even after 2027, it will still remain a formidable force in Nigerian politics.”
Alhaji Yerima Shettima of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, also doesn’t buy into the idea. He said it is not possible that Nigeria could descend into a one party state even though he noted that the signs are there.
“It can’t be and it is not a good idea for us to have a one party state. I do not share that sentiment despite the fact that things are gradually taking that dimension, which I think is very dangerous for our democracy,” he told DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS.
He called on people of good reason to support the opposition to ensure that at all time, Nigeria will have a strong opposition that can act as checks and balances to the activities of those in authority.
He said: “We must be able to have a system that allows for checks and balances. When you have a one party state where nobody talks and things happen the way those in power want, then, it will lead to absolute power and you know that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“So, for me it is not a good idea. Let there be checks and balances in our system. We must encourage the opposition to brace up and also do the needful so that we can always have those who can constructively criticize certain policies of the government and allow for proper thinking by those in power.”
Meanwhile, despite all odds, the PDP finally held its long awaited National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting on Tuesday.
It is considered a major step towards restoring the party.
