Top Nigerian Opposition Leaders Raise Alarm Over Alleged Threat to Democracy Ahead of 2027 Elections
Top opposition figures in Nigeria have raised concerns over what they describe as a calculated effort by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to weaken opposition parties and tilt the country toward a one-party system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a joint statement released on Sunday, the leaders—including former Senate President David Mark, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former PDP Deputy National Chairman Chief Bode George, former APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and Mallam Lawal Batagarawa—warned that democratic space is shrinking and state institutions are increasingly being perceived as tools to pressure political opponents.
The statement alleged that anti-corruption and security agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are being politicised. They claimed opposition governors and political stakeholders are targeted, while defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) raise suspicions of coercion rather than ideological alignment.
“Key national institutions are increasingly perceived as instruments of political intimidation, selective justice, and systematic persecution of opposition leaders,” the leaders said. They warned that such practices erode trust in public institutions and could fuel political tension as Nigeria approaches another election cycle.
The opposition figures called for urgent reforms to depoliticise the EFCC, including deploying anti-graft operatives into government accounts at all levels, establishing an independent review panel of public finances from 2015 to 2025, and including civil society, professional bodies, security agencies, and all political parties in oversight.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us, not to a single party or a single leader. We must act now to safeguard democracy,” the statement reiterated. The leaders also indicated plans to engage international partners to highlight the alleged politicisation of anti-graft institutions and advocate for reforms to protect Nigeria’s democratic framework.
