Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on Nigerians to resist attempts to establish a one-party system in the country, warning that democracy is under threat.
Obi made the call in a statement posted on his official X handle on Wednesday, April 8, amid the ongoing crisis within the African Democratic Congress and accusations that the ruling All Progressives Congress is working to weaken opposition parties.
“We, members and leaders of the ADC, and other well-meaning Nigerians, lovers of democracy, are saying that our democracy must not be killed.
“We say NO to a one-party system and for that today we’re calling out Nigerians who believe in unity, peace, and security of our country to join us as we defend democracy in our land,” Obi wrote, concluding with, “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
The statement comes as the ADC continues to grapple with a leadership crisis that has seen the Independent National Electoral Commission withdraw recognition from both the David Mark-led faction and the Nafiu Bala faction, citing ongoing litigation.
The ADC has accused INEC and the Tinubu administration of plotting to prevent the party from fielding candidates in the 2027 elections by creating administrative obstacles.
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The party’s youth wing recently issued a 72-hour ultimatum to INEC, demanding restoration of the Mark-led leadership and threatening nationwide protests if the commission fails to comply.
Opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar’s media aide Paul Ibeh, have accused President Tinubu and INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan of working to eliminate opposition parties and subvert democracy.
Critics have pointed to the wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, INEC’s handling of the ADC crisis, and alleged attempts to impose preferred leaders on opposition parties as evidence of a coordinated effort to establish one-party dominance.
President Tinubu and APC leaders have repeatedly dismissed such accusations, insisting that Nigeria remains a multiparty democracy and that defections reflect the opposition’s internal weaknesses rather than government coercion.
However, concerns about the shrinking political space have intensified following INEC’s decision on the ADC, which many see as effectively paralyzing a party that was consolidating opposition forces ahead of 2027.
Obi’s call for Nigerians to defend democracy signals growing alarm within opposition circles about the trajectory of the country’s political system.