Despite the wave of defections that has hit the opposition, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that the country is turning into a one-party state.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the ruling party has no plans to eliminate opposition parties, stressing that it is good for democracy.
Morka spoke during an interview on a year-end programme 2025 in Retrospect: Charting a Pathway to 2026, which aired on Channels Television.TV channel subscription
“There is no such desire, let alone intent to turn Nigeria into one party state,” he stated on Tuesday.
“The APC is the ruling party, which was elected in the last general elections. Therefore, the party is in government. What we have witnessed is individuals who have made decisions that are permissible in a democracy to move from their platforms to join our party.”
Depletion Of Minority Parties
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others have witnessed a depletion of their membership strength.
Governors, lawmakers, and other top political shots have moved in droves into the APC, raising fears that the country is turning into a one-party state.
Despite the concerns raised, Morka explained that the defections are nothing unusual.
“That is nothing unusual, nothing untoward. People joke around with this spectre of a one-party state; we shouldn’t. If you understand the constitutional and legal process that creates the democratic framework that we operate, you will know that it is not something that you wish.
“Even if anyone in the APC wished for a one-party state, it is virtually impossible under the prevailing constitutional legal framework to enact a one-party state. A one-party state doesn’t come by wishful thinking or by people being mischievous. What you are seeing is just the play of democracy.
“We all love democracy. When democracy plays the hard game, we begin to suspect democracy that democracy is transmogrifying,” Morka added.
