Where is the opposition in the 10th assembly?

When the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated in June 2023, it marked a historic moment in Nigeria’s democracy. For the first time in recent memory, opposition parties collectively held more seats than the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives. With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s […]

When the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated in June 2023, it marked a historic moment in Nigeria’s democracy. For the first time in recent memory, opposition parties collectively held more seats than the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives.

With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and smaller parties commanding a significant bloc, many Nigerians anticipated a vibrant opposition that would provide robust checks and balances.

Yet, nearly two years into its tenure, the opposition’s voice has been conspicuously absent from critical debates and decisions. What promised to be a strong counterweight to executive power has instead become a muted presence in the legislative process, raising serious concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.

At the outset, the numbers appeared promising for the opposition. In the 360-member House of Representatives, the APC held 175 seats compared to the opposition’s combined 182. The PDP led with 118 lawmakers, followed by LP 35, NNPP 19, and the smaller parties making up the remainder. Even in the Senate, where the APC maintained a slim majority with 59 seats against the opposition’s 50, there was potential for meaningful resistance.

 

Initial grandstanding

The early days saw flashes of opposition unity. Before the Assembly’s inauguration, minority parties formed a coalition called the “Greater Majority” and even attempted to field a consensus candidate for Speaker. For weeks, they commanded significant influence, with speakership aspirants courting their support at high-profile meetings in Abuja’s Transcorp Hilton.

However, this show of force proved short-lived. When it came time to elect presiding officers, the opposition ultimately backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s preferred candidates – Godswill Akpabio as Senate President and Abbas Tajudeen as Speaker. This early capitulation set the tone for what would follow.

Since then, the opposition’s numerical advantage has steadily eroded through a wave of defections to the ruling party. The PDP alone has lost six members in the House, while the LP saw six lawmakers cross over. The Senate witnessed the high-profile defection of Ned Nwoko from PDP to APC. These departures have significantly weakened the opposition’s ability to mount effective resistance.

 

A tamed opposition?

Analysts observed that nearly two years into its tenure, the opposition in the 10th National Assembly seems to have lost its voice. Instead of serving as a counterbalance to the executive and holding the ruling party accountable, opposition lawmakers have appeared largely subdued. This has led many Nigerians to question why they are not living up to expectations.

Several developments indicate that opposition lawmakers may have been compromised. A significant example was the recent approval of the state of emergency declared by President Tinubu in Rivers State, despite the controversy surrounding the decision.

Many had hoped that opposition lawmakers would assert their authority, particularly given concerns over the constitutionality of the six-month suspension imposed on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly by the president. However, lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly quickly approved the emergency declaration after voice votes.

In the House of Representatives, although Reps Obinna Aguocha and Fred Agbedi tried to raise concerns about quorum at the start of the consideration, the motion for approval was passed unanimously without dissent.

The silence of the Ikenga Ugochinyere-led 60 opposition lawmakers during the debate largely shocked many Nigerians. Before the declaration, Ugochinyere had been one of the loudest voices supporting Fubara.

In the Senate, only Senators Seriake Dickson, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Eyinnaya Abaribe opposed the declaration, but their protests were largely ignored. Dickson’s dramatic walkout highlighted the opposition’s inability to mount effective resistance, it was observed. Some also believed this episode underscored the opposition’s failure to capitalise on their numerical strength to safeguard democratic principles and hold the executive accountable.

In addition to the state of emergency issue, opposition lawmakers have been criticised for their consistent alignment with the ruling party, approving policies and executive requests without sufficient scrutiny. Examples include the approval of controversial loans, supplementary budgets with questionable expenditures, and laws that many believe undermine public interest.

The question remains: where is the opposition in the 10th National Assembly? Why have they failed to live up to the expectations of Nigerians?

 

‘Opposition lawmakers asleep, they must wake up’

Public reactions to the opposition’s perceived lacklustre performance have been harsh. Analysts and concerned citizens have criticised opposition lawmakers for failing to provide robust checks on the executive. Dr Godwin Odeh, a public affairs analyst and senior lecturer at Sokoto State University, argued that the opposition is comatose.

“The opposition is in comatose; it’s sleeping,” he said. “The opposition has to wake up. They need to engage constructively and speak for the people of Nigeria. All other parties not in power should unite as one opposition force. The PDP should not isolate itself from the LP and other parties. They must become a united opposition force to challenge the ruling party.”

A Rivers State constituent, Tammy Daminabo, also expressed disappointment in the opposition, especially in relation to the Rivers state of emergency and the suspension of democratic structures. He lamented that unlike the 8th National Assembly under Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, which was vocal in its opposition, the 10th Assembly has been largely ineffective.

“The opposition, though in the minority in the 8th Assembly, was vocal in legislative debates and actively scrutinised executive policies,” he said. “Now, the 10th Assembly is a ‘lame duck’.”

 

Factors behind the opposition’s failure

Dr Odeh identified several factors behind the failure of the opposition, including political compromise for committee appointments, lack of unity among opposition parties, defections to the ruling party, and the absence of strong leadership to galvanise the opposition.

Commercialisation of politics erodes opposition in 10th Assembly – Rafsanjani

On his part, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Secretary of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), pointed to the commercialisation of Nigeria’s political parties as a key factor in the weakness of the opposition. He argued that financial interests now drive political actions, rather than ideology or competence.

Rafsanjani explained that opposition lawmakers have become docile because the political system is driven by financial interests, rather than democratic principles. He argued that all political parties, including opposition ones, have lost their ability to challenge the ruling party because the political system is now dominated by commercial interests.

“Political parties, whether in power or opposition, have lost their capacity to function as real political parties. They have either been undermined or have undermined themselves,” he said, adding that “Party structures are now based on financial considerations rather than democratic principles.”

Rafsanjani stressed that candidates are selected based on their financial capacity rather than competence, integrity, or passion for public service. He also noted that the monetisation of the political system has affected the legislative process, with bills and motions often tied to financial incentives.

“The opposition is supposed to check government excesses, but now, whatever stance the ruling party takes, the opposition mirrors.

“Everything has been monetised,” he added.

He called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s political system, urging a return to a system where merit and ideological commitment take precedence over financial influence in the selection of candidates.

 

 

LP caucus leader: Criticism of opposition’s performance is unfair

Attempts to obtain reactions from Senator Abba Moro and Rep. Kingsley Chinda, minority leaders in both chambers, were unsuccessful as neither answered calls nor responded to text messages.

However, in an earlier interview with Daily Trust, Senator Moro dismissed claims that the opposition was underperforming, insisting that true opposition goes beyond making loud statements in the media.

“It is not about shouting or appearing on the pages of newspapers and social media,” he argued.

He also rejected the notion that all opposition parties must unite against the ruling party, pointing out that the smaller parties often have their own agendas.

“The other opposition parties are looking out for their own interests, shifting alliances constantly. You see them moving to the APC—politicians who can be described as ‘food-is-ready’ politicians. That’s how they operate,” he said.

According to Moro, this fragmented approach has affected the opposition’s unity and direction.

“Some people say they don’t see a vibrant opposition, that we are not doing enough. In some sense, they may be right. But what they fail to understand is that effective opposition is not just about making noise,” he said.

He maintained that opposition lawmakers were working behind the scenes to reshape governance, even if their efforts were not always visible to the public.

“There are things we do now that are changing the governance narrative in ways people may not realise. But we’ll keep at it because you can’t keep repeating the same methods and expect different results.

“We’ve been shouting for people to resign, demanding actions, but has anyone resigned? If it doesn’t yield results, why should we keep making noise just for the sake of it?” he asked.

Similarly, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, the leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, rejected claims that the opposition is not living up to expectations. He said such criticism is “harsh, insensitive and ignorant” of the dynamics that shape representative democracy.

“The majority will, nilly willy have its way,” Ogene said, emphasising the importance of numbers in a democracy. “In every democracy, it is a globally accepted axiom that the minority will have their say, but the majority will have its way.”

Ogene argued that opposition lawmakers should employ emotional and social intelligence and be tactful in addressing key issues. He cited the Labour Party’s successful efforts in securing concessions in the Tax Bills as an example of constructive opposition.

While acknowledging that defections had reduced the strength of the opposition, Ogene pointed to key gains achieved through tactical opposition, such as securing periodic reviews of the state of emergency in Rivers State and the establishment of a National Mediation Committee to facilitate dialogue.

Ogene also argued that the opposition’s role should not be judged solely by loud protests, but by the practical, behind-the-scenes influence it can exert, particularly in a system where numbers are pivotal.