Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof. Jideofor Adibe, has warned that the real danger confronting Nigeria’s democracy is not the dominance of a single political party but the growing concentration of power around President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview on African Independent Television (AIT) Adibe cautioned that democracy becomes vulnerable when political institutions and actors revolve around one individual, a trend he said could pave the way for authoritarian rule.
Drawing parallels with other democracies, the University Don argued that prolonged dominance by a political party does not necessarily threaten democratic governance.
“If you go to Japan, for example, the Liberal democratic Party of Japan which was formed in 1955 has dominated the politics except two periods; and it’s still a dynamic democracy.
If you go to South Africa, the ANC has dominated since 1994 and is still a democracy. In our own case, the fear is not about one-partism. It’s the fear of the rule of one man. So, you can see everybody, including a governor who now has to wear a Tinubu cap.”He maintained.
The political scientist also criticised President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address, stressing that the occasion should have been dedicated to reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey rather than showcasing the administration’s scorecard.
“The president went ahead to give an account of his stewardship, which i think shouldn’t belong to Democracy Day. On a democracy Day, my opinion is that the focus should be on the journey to democracy Day and what we have gained or lost and how this has helped or negated in the nation-building process. His scorecard about what he’s done on electricity and all that should belong to May 29th when he was inaugurated.” He added.
