Nigeria is moving closer to becoming a one-party state as the petitions stemming from the 2023 general elections are nearly finalized.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has admitted this, but it placed the responsibility on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
On the other side, the Labour Party, LP thinks the executive branch has bought out the fundamental institutions that shape democracy in the nation.
After falling from power in 2015, the PDP is currently the most prominent opposition party.
But the party isn’t exactly stepping up to the plate as the country’s official opposition.
The situation has become even more dire as a result of the wholesale dismissal of numerous PDP and LP members; the remaining parliamentarians now seem less prepared to serve as a strong opposition.
Dr. Aliyu Danko, national publicity secretary of the Labour Party, told MISMOB that the Appeal Court had done Nigeria a huge harm with some of its rulings, adding that the PDP had lost ground in court and that a strong opposition was necessary right now.
Nigeria has benefited nothing from the court rulings. He even went so far as to say that they had clouded some of the decisions made by our election process.
I can tell you for a fact. In some cases, we first suspected that bribes were targeting individuals, but later discovered that the institutions themselves were being paid off.
As an example, the Nigeria Police Force faces a significant problem when it comes to acting morally. We claim that the Nigeria Police are no longer accountable to the Nigerian people, who fund their salaries with taxpayer dollars, but rather to the executive branch.
In a similar vein, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) became the go-between for the election of several unsavoury lawmakers.
Unfortunately, the judiciary, which was once held in high esteem by the general public, has now vanished into thin air.
They have lost their autonomy, can’t make up their minds, and are now presenting the Nigerian people with major paradoxes instead of unambiguous judgments.
The degradation you’ve seen in the system thus far is the result of all of these factors coming together. For this reason, the national parliament was too preoccupied with praising the president for his unlawfully acquired mandate to properly examine and critique the budget document when he visited to present it.
Meaning they still want to internalize the subject of illegality, which is a sign that they are still under its intoxication. That is why, with the possible exception of a handful of members from other political parties who are prepared to fulfill their democratic responsibilities, you might not witness a vigorous discussion, challenge, or argument in the National Assembly.
What we are witnessing, however, at the moment is an avalanche of interests seeking to legitimize the illicit. It appears like the opposition is feeling threatened. However, a few of them might be powerful. It is a scared assembly, but it’s not too weak, as you’ll see.
Debo Ologunagba, the PDP’s national publicity secretary, told MISMOB that, right now, correcting the election system should be the top priority for Nigerians.
The compromise and INEC’s duty in particular worry me because they pose a danger to democracy.
In its handling of the country’s elections, INEC has proven time and time again that it lacks the integrity required of an institution that is supposed to uphold democracy.
And when it comes to legal matters, INEC is just as unconcerned. A greater concern is the danger to democracy.
Democracy cannot survive the current trend toward authoritarianism and a one-party state. The court is also expected to do its job… However, the institutions responsible for holding the polls provide the greatest obstacle.
“Why did the sitting president have such an easy time admitting defeat?” It was due to the fact that the election was trustworthy, open, and fair. For what it’s worth, the electoral body maintained its neutrality.
“The judiciary must be prepared to stand alone as a powerful instrument of government and a cultural force for democracy by safeguarding the rule of law.”
Mismob Media