“One-Party Drift: How Defections & Power Plays Are Hollowing Out Nigeria’s Democracy”

By NJORIGE LYNUS

NIGERIA’S political landscape is tilting toward a dangerous one-party dominance, driven by widespread defections and an emerging culture of loyalty over performance. As more governors cross over to the ruling party — with reports suggesting Taraba’s Agbu Kefas may join — critics warn that accountability is evaporating.

In many states, defecting governors now control both ruling and opposition structures, leaving them politically unchecked. With federal institutions like the EFCC, INEC, and segments of the judiciary perceived as compromised or selectively active, the fear is that misgovernance will deepen while democratic safeguards weaken.

Observers argue that this homogenisation of party politics is breeding mediocrity and eroding the competitive tension that keeps leaders responsive. The opposition’s collapse, they warn, could create public frustration, hopelessness, and ultimately unpredictable political consequences.

The commentary suggests that although President Bola Tinubu will eventually leave office — whether in 2027 or 2031 — the long-term damage to political culture may outlive him. It predicts that regions once known for civic activism, particularly the Yoruba, may someday revive calls for a Sovereign National Conference, but by then such ideas could be branded subversive.

At the centre of the critique is a sense of betrayal: that Tinubu, once seen as a pro-democracy figure, is now normalising the very practices he once opposed — cronyism, tribalism, and political capture.