The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat, describing the allegations as alarmist, ironic and reflective of the opposition’s dwindling political relevance.
Atiku, speaking through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of deliberately weakening opposition parties and shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space. He warned that such actions could push the country towards a de facto one-party state. The former vice president also claimed that Nigerians have endured nearly three years of severe economic hardship under the Tinubu-led government, alongside policies and actions he said undermine democratic values.
However, the APC has rejected these assertions. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Lagos State APC spokesman, Seye Oladejo, said Atiku and his new political platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), were “afraid of their own shadows”.
Oladejo insisted that Nigeria’s democratic institutions were functioning normally and effectively under President Tinubu. He urged opposition figures to stop predicting the collapse of a system that, he said, has continued to mature despite what he described as their “constant doomsday prophecies”.
“Nigeria’s democracy is not under threat; what is under threat is the opposition’s fading relevance,” Oladejo said. “Since May 29, 2023, democratic institutions have functioned as designed. Elections have been conducted, courts have adjudicated disputes, the legislature has exercised oversight, and citizens continue to enjoy constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.”
According to him, the conduct of opposition parties themselves contradicts claims of democratic repression. “The opposition has spoken freely, protested freely, and litigated freely — hardly the signs of a democracy under siege,” he added.
Oladejo also took aim at the ADC coalition, describing it as fragile and riddled with internal contradictions. He argued that the group was driven primarily by personal ambition rather than ideology, making it vulnerable to internal collapse.
“No political house built on sand can withstand the inevitable internal whirlwind that follows unchecked ambition without ideology,” he said. “It is disingenuous to blame the ruling party for the visible desperation of ADC leaders, who already see the forthcoming elections as their last chance on the national stage.”
He stressed that winning and losing are integral parts of any democratic process and that democracy does not collapse simply because personal ambitions are frustrated. According to Oladejo, the ADC coalition appears to have its “expiry date engraved upon it, adding that longevity does not seem to be its destiny.
“What we are witnessing is not the defence of democracy, but the last convulsion of a political arrangement held together by fear, impatience, and the fading relevance of its leading figures,” he said.
Reaffirming the APC’s position, Oladejo said Nigeria’s democracy remains resilient under President Tinubu, noting that ongoing reforms, though demanding, are rooted in constitutional provisions, the rule of law and democratic accountability.
“We therefore advise Atiku Abubakar and his new political companions to confront reality honestly. Democracy is not collapsing. It is only the opposition that is frightened by its own shadow and the unmistakable reality that Nigerians have moved on,” he said.
