By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – Senior opposition leaders have issued a strong warning to President Bola Tinubu, accusing his administration of presiding over a gradual drift toward a one-party state and using state institutions to intimidate political opponents ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a joint statement, the leaders expressed concern that Nigeria’s anti-corruption and security agencies are increasingly being viewed by the public as instruments of selective justice rather than independent institutions committed to the rule of law.
The statement was jointly signed by former Senate President David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s 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.
“We are compelled by duty to nation and conscience to alert our compatriots and the international community to the unfortunate and gradual slide of our country into a state where key national institutions are increasingly perceived as tools of political intimidation, selective justice and systematic persecution of opposition leaders,” they said.
According to the opposition figures, there is a deliberate but covert effort to bring all state governments under the control of the ruling party, not through open electoral contests but through pressure allegedly exerted via anti-graft investigations. They said opposition governors and influential political figures are the primary targets of this pressure.
They pointed to the recent wave of defections of opposition governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as reinforcing public suspicion that coercion, rather than political conviction or ideology, is behind the realignments.
“More than ever before in our democratic experience, Nigerians have witnessed what many now describe as a covert, undemocratic agenda to ensure that all state governments fall under the control of the President’s party, not through transparent electoral contests, but by intimidating opposition governors via the anti-corruption apparatus,” the statement said.
The leaders warned that the alleged campaign goes beyond sitting governors and extends to key opposition figures involved in coalition talks ahead of the 2027 elections, describing the trend as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic future.
They accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of being particularly vulnerable to political manipulation, alleging that cases involving members of the ruling party are often ignored or stalled, while opposition figures face swift investigation and intense public scrutiny.
“Allegations against members of the ruling party are routinely perceived to be overlooked, while even unsubstantiated accusations against opposition figures are vigorously pursued and subjected to media trial,” the opposition leaders alleged.
The statement recalled past remarks by a former APC national chairman suggesting that defectors’ ‘sins’ were forgiven upon joining the ruling party, arguing that the comment has since come to symbolise what many Nigerians perceive as selective enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
The opposition leaders warned that such practices undermine the credibility of the anti-graft fight, weaken public trust in state institutions and risk fuelling instability as another election cycle draws closer.
“An agency designed for prevention and accountability risks becoming an instrument of political persecution, undermining both justice and democracy. Evident social and political injustice could snowball into mayhem as the nation approaches another election cycle,” they said.
The statement called for urgent reforms, including the depoliticisation of the EFCC, a return to its statutory mandate and concrete safeguards to prevent Nigeria from sliding into a de facto one-party state.
As part of preventive measures, the leaders proposed embedding anti-graft operatives directly into government payment and expenditure processes at federal, state and local government levels, citing a Supreme Court ruling affirming the EFCC’s oversight powers over public accounts.
They also demanded the establishment of an independent review body to scrutinise public accounts of the federal government, all states and local governments from 2015 to 2025, with powers to publish its findings and recommend amendments to strengthen the EFCC’s enabling law.
The proposed body, they said, should be chaired by an eminent judge and include representatives of civil society organisations, professional bodies, security agencies, anti-graft institutions and all political parties represented in the National Assembly.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us, not to a single party or a single leader. We must make a deliberate choice not to be remembered by posterity for our silence,” the statement reiterated.
The opposition leaders disclosed that they plan to engage Nigeria’s international partners and diplomatic missions in the coming weeks to express concerns over what they described as the growing politicisation of anti-graft institutions and to push for reforms aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
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