Nigeria’s opposition parties: The imperative of makeover, convergence
As Nigeria progresses towards the 2027 general polls, not a few citizens view the processes with mixed feelings given the underlying ‘winner takes all’ disposition that plagues electoral contests in the country. And the fear is that 2027 polls may escalate this play-out of ‘exclusion and inclusion paradigm’, given as a pointer, the unmasked […]
As Nigeria progresses towards the 2027 general polls, not a few citizens view the processes with mixed feelings given the underlying ‘winner takes all’ disposition that plagues electoral contests in the country. And the fear is that 2027 polls may escalate this play-out of ‘exclusion and inclusion paradigm’, given as a pointer, the unmasked dissonance between the Bola Tinubu administration and opposition politics in the country. In a healthy democracy, government and the opposition are not necessarily at daggers drawn, as citizens are availed the opportunity of balancing choices between the administrative initiatives of the government in power, and the alternatives offered by the opposition. This is what makes a democracy the best form of government man has ever developed, as it provides for the majority the prerogative to have its way, while the minority also has its say. And this is the expectation of Nigeria’s democracy, from the days of the founding fathers of the country, to date and even in the future.
However, viewing the Nigerian situation from the backdrop of the foregoing perspective, is the unmistakable reality that the country’s democratic governance operates as a dispensation that involves only the government and the opposition. This fallacious position excludes ostensibly the more critical factor which is the citizenry, on whose behalf the entire process of governance revolves. That is why it should bother any Nigerian from across the various political divides, that so much souring is associated with the interface between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government in power, and the various factors in the opposition. For it is not a secret that an unhealthy relationship exists between the ruling party APC and the various minority parties that form a similitude of the opposition.
Why the foregoing matters is that for some time now, the country has witnessed a systematic diminishing of the opposition in the course of this Bola Tinubu administration at a faster pace than in previous administrations. From an empirical angle, evidence of an unprecedented shift in numbers and concentration of political power is provided by statistics such as the numerical transformation of political office holders, between the commencement of the Bola Tinubu administration and the present. Presently, 31 of the 36 state governors, 73 Senators out of 109, and 242 out of 360 Members of the House of Representatives are in the same party APC, as the President. This is a far cry from the situation in 2023 when the statistics for APC were 60 Senators, 176 House of members and 21 governors.
This situation accentuates the clearly, unipolar direction of governance in the country, which is antithetical to the diversity-oriented run of the social fabric of the country. Little wonder that alarm over the incidence of Nigeria becoming a one-party state had been trending.
In this respect remains one of the unprecedented, enduring legacies of the General Ibrahim Babangida administration which is the setting up of the Dr Samuel J. Cookey Committee, and which posted a resounding perspective on Nigeria’s political orientation to be bi-polar. According to the Samuel Cookey Bureau report, the political sentiments across Nigeria, in the country’s wide range of diversities, gravitate towards two directions namely the conservatives and the progressives. This was the thinking that spawned the establishment of two parastatals of political parties namely the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1990.
Juxtaposing that dispensation with the current tendency of overwhelming one party (APC). dominance of the political space is inherently antithetical to the country’s social fabric and will hardly augur well, both for now and in the future. That is why the country needs a viable opposition front, no matter how cobbled, especially given the ‘winner takes all’ mindset of Nigerian politicians. Even as various politicians may be jostling for space in the various efforts to avail the country an opposition front, the challenge goes beyond the enthronement of their respective individual ambitions, but entails the prospects of availing Nigeria a working democracy. Hence Nigerians need to see and distinguish beyond the specific ambitions of the opposition elements and the imperative of the nation having a balanced approach to governance, with the constructive interplay of government and the opposition, which guarantees inclusiveness of all stakeholders in the country.
Already, the impact of the dissonance between the government and opposition has been exerting a significant toll on the country, as governance is yet to rise and meet with the expectations of the citizenry. Instances of such drawbacks in the country are legion. For instance, with respect to insecurity, the country’s response has been anything but proactive. While on a daily basis the security men and women expose themselves to untold danger and even pay the supreme price, governance has often failed to provide the enabling environment for their enterprise to achieve desired results.
Coming over to other areas of national life such as the economy with specific attention on the electricity supply, progress has not been optimal. In all of these areas the dissonance plaguing the political class which comprises the government and the opposition has not helped matters.
Just as well the opposition also needs to up its game to earn relevance and trust of Nigerians especially in the context of the forthcoming polls. With respect to the on-going rally by some Nigerians to consolidate opposition against the present administration, the need exists to convince Nigerians that they should be taken seriously. This implies that they can deliver on the basic duties of an opposition which include ensuring government accountability, providing constructive criticism, offering alternative policies to those of the ruling party, ensuring transparency and representing public interests in a democratic system.
This is where the elements in the Nigerian opposition need a makeover of their operations as well as foster a convergence of strengths.
Repeat: First published April 18, 2026