President Bola Tinubu has urged opposition elements in the country to accept their losses and stop blaming him for their alleged incompetence in managing their party’s affairs. He stated that politicians changing party affiliations is not unique to Nigeria and cited examples of notable politicians in advanced democracies who have done so. Tinubu also dismissed claims that his administration is moving towards authoritarianism, saying democracy is not under threat in Nigeria.
The President made these remarks in a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, titled “Democracy strong and alive in Nigeria, ignore alarmists.” The statement noted that recent defections from opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown the opposition into disarray.
Tinubu’s administration has been accused of promoting a one-party state, but the President’s spokesman argued that these claims are baseless and exaggerated. The statement added that the opposition cannot blame Tinubu and the APC for their poor organization and incompetence in managing their affairs.
The statement also criticized those who celebrated the defection of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while condemning the defection of opposition members to the APC. It emphasized that freedom of association, speech, and choice are fundamental to democracy and that Nigerians are free to join any party of their choice.
The statement concluded that democracy is strong in Nigeria under President Tinubu’s leadership and that the multiparty democratic system will continue to thrive. It commended the President and the APC for making the party attractive to Nigerians and urged all Nigerians to respect the people’s choices and ignore alarmists spreading false narratives.
