A political science expert, Prof. Jonah Onuoha, has stated that no ruling political party is comfortable with opposition parties, despite their constitutional recognition.
Onuoha, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Director of the Centre for American Studies, explained that ruling parties especially across Africa tend to view opposition groups with suspicion due to the fear of losing power.
“Opposition is not a crime because constitutions in Nigeria and other multi-party democracies permit their existence. But ruling parties are often jittery because they believe the opposition can seize power from them at the slightest opportunity,” he said.
He emphasised that a healthy democracy thrives on criticism from the opposition, as it compels ruling parties to remain accountable. However, he expressed concern that some opposition parties fail to offer constructive feedback and instead attack every policy without assessing its merit.
Commenting on recent defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Onuoha said the ruling party’s concern was understandable, especially with elections approaching.
“Many of the defectors were originally from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which merged into the APC in 2013. Their grievance is that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has not fairly included them in appointments,” he noted.
Despite the defections, Onuoha dismissed ADC’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election, describing the coalition as disorganised and lacking direction.
“The coalition is confused. It cannot win in 2027 unless party leaders merge formally with ADC and form a unified front. As it stands, ADC is just a loose alliance with no clear political agenda beyond defeating the president,” he said.
He also raised constitutional concerns, saying many of those claiming allegiance to ADC have not formally resigned from their original parties, such as APC, PDP, or LP.
“It is illegal to belong to two political parties simultaneously. Those who attempt to run under ADC while maintaining ties with other parties will be disqualified by INEC in 2027,” Onuoha warned.
