President Bola Tinubu on Friday dispelled fears of authoritarian drift, declaring that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has no designs on a one-party state despite an extraordinary influx of defectors from rival factions.
Speaking at the APC’s 4th national convention at Eagle Square, Abuja President Tinubu stressed the value of robust opposition in a functioning democracy.
“Let me reiterate, especially to those who often lament and misunderstand us: We do not seek a one-party state,” he told delegates.
“Democracy thrives on vibrant and healthy competition. As a statesman and political leader, I believe in a credible opposition, one that can challenge, question, and help refine policies.”
The President’s comments come as opposition leaders raise alarms over what they see as an erosion of checks and balances.
Since 2023, the APC has absorbed governors, senators, and lawmakers from parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — which governed from 1999 to 2015 — as well as the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
NewsQuest reports the ruling party now controls the presidency, majorities in both Houses of the National Assembly, and more than two-thirds of the nation’s governorships.
President Tinubu described the defections as a validation of his party’s vision.
“May you continue to win more converts into the party as we have done in the last two years, when an unprecedented number of new members, governors, senators, representatives, old and current, join our party from other political parties,” he said.
He urged incoming leaders to manage this growth through “credible leadership and transparent party management, anchored in a reliable, verifiable database of our members nationwide.”
While open to critique, President Tinubu drew a line at what he called distortions of the APC’s aims, including attacks on the Electoral Act of 2026.
“While we welcome criticism, the constant attacks by opposition groups on the Electoral Act 2026 are a disservice to the Nigerian people,” he said.
He tipped the APC founded in 2013 amid economic woes under the prior PDP government, not as a mere power vehicle but as “a home for anybody who wants to build a Nigeria where governance works, institutions function, opportunities abound, security reigns, poverty declines, and every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region or social status, can live with dignity and hope.”
Warning against internal pitfalls, President Tinubu cautioned that parties falter not just through losses at the ballot box but when “ego overrides ideology or when ambition replaces discipline.”
He called for unity at the convention, themed “Unity in Progress: Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda,” which is set to install a new national chairman and officers.
The gathering opened with moments of silence for former President Muhammadu Buhari and other departed APC figures.
“Let no contest divide us. Let no outcome embitter us,” President Tinubu implored. “The future of APC, and Nigeria’s democracy, depends on your leadership. Lead with courage, lead with integrity, and lead with vision.”
