President Bola Tinubu has pushed back against growing accusations that his administration is orchestrating the collapse of Nigeria’s opposition parties, firmly dismissing claims of any scheme to transform the country into a one-party state.
Speaking at an interfaith breakfast with senators held Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu addressed the controversy with a touch of humor, saying that despite being repeatedly accused of “killing the opposition,” he never possessed the means to do so. “Critics will always talk and give you names,” he said. “When they accused me of killing the opposition, I didn’t have a gun. I could have even issued myself a licence, since I have the authority.”
The president framed Nigeria’s current political climate against the backdrop of the country’s security struggles, arguing that threats such as terrorism and banditry demand cooperation rather than partisan warfare. “What this country has faced in this difficult period has caused enormous damage. We must pull together and unite as our forefathers envisioned to sustain constitutional democracy,” he said, adding pointedly, “They did not say we should fight.”
Tinubu also used the occasion to defend his administration’s sweeping economic reforms, which he described as a shared achievement between the executive and the legislature. He singled out the removal of fuel subsidies and the overhaul of the foreign exchange system as pivotal steps in dismantling deep-rooted corruption. “What we stopped was monumental corruption in the subsidy regime. We do not want to be part of corruption or foreign-exchange arbitrage,” he said, crediting senators for their role in making the reforms possible.
On the state of the economy, Tinubu projected optimism, telling lawmakers that stability had returned and prosperity was within reach. “You don’t need to chase me for dollars; you can see where Nigeria is today. We are enjoying a more stable economy, and prosperity is ahead of us.”
The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the major opposition blocs. The Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party have each been rocked by internal divisions in recent months, resulting in a wave of defections to the APC. Opposition leaders have repeatedly alleged that the ruling party is deliberately fanning these internal crises to hollow out political competition and cement dominance — allegations Tinubu has consistently rejected.
Rather than accepting responsibility, the president has urged struggling opposition parties to look inward. At an APC National Executive Committee meeting last July, he reiterated that political plurality remains vital to Nigerian democracy, even as he encouraged governors elected on opposition platforms to cross over to the ruling party — a position critics argue contradicts his assurances on multiparty politics.
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