Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), supports the idea of a one-party system in Nigeria, arguing that the multiplicity of political parties undermines effective governance.
Ganduje made the remarks on Thursday at the Presidential Villa after leading a delegation of APC stakeholders to meet with President Bola Tinubu.
During the visit, he disclosed that all three Senators representing Kebbi State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to formally defect to the APC on the floor of the Senate next Tuesday.
“Almost every week in the Senate and House of Representatives, you see members of other political parties decamping into the APC,” Ganduje said. “So we came here so that Mr. President will bless this resolution. And Mr. President has graciously blessed this resolution.”
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Ganduje’s statements come amid a growing wave of defections from opposition parties to the APC, fueling speculation that Nigeria may be tilting toward a de facto one-party system. While proponents argue this could streamline governance, critics warn that such developments threaten the country’s democratic pluralism.
When asked about concerns over the dangers of a one-party state, Ganduje dismissed fears of authoritarianism. “One-party state is not by force. A one-party state is by negotiation. It’s by other political parties seeing the effect of the positive governance of our party,” he said.
“If they decide to come into our party willingly, I think there’s nothing wrong with that. In today’s democracy, China is one of the strongest countries in the world, and it’s a one-party system.
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We are not saying that we are praying for or working for a one-party system, but if that is the wish of Nigerians, we cannot quarrel over that. You know they say too many cooks spoil the soup. Too many political parties spoil governance.”
Ganduje’s comments come amid the recent concerns raised by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who has cautioned against a slide toward a one-party structure. Jonathan had noted that such a system should only emerge through broad-based consensus among stakeholders—not through coercion or manipulation.