The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged a coordinated effort to weaken opposition parties ahead of the next general election, warning that Nigeria could drift towards a one-party state if what it described as the “growing assault on democracy” is not addressed.
The party’s reaction followed the decision of the Federal High Court in Lokoja to set aside its earlier judgment recognising the National Democratic Coalition (NDC).
According to the ADC, the ruling forms part of a wider pattern of actions aimed at shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed concern over what it described as a series of legal and administrative actions targeting opposition parties, insisting that the trend poses a serious threat to constitutional democracy.
“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space, and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement read.
The ADC argued that the controversy surrounding the NDC extends beyond the interests of a single political party and affects the country’s democratic system as a whole.
“When opposition parties are persistently distracted by manufactured controversies and prolonged legal uncertainty, the real casualty is the Nigerian people’s right to freely choose among credible political alternatives,” the party stated.
The opposition party also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of creating conditions that undermine fair political competition, stressing that democracy depends on institutional neutrality and equal treatment of all political actors.
“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the statement added.
With less than a year to the general election, the ADC called on the judiciary to safeguard its independence and avoid actions capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” Abdullahi said.
The party warned that any perception that the courts were being used to pursue partisan political objectives could have serious consequences for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
It also appealed to opposition parties, civil society organisations, the legal community, organised labour, the media and Nigerians to unite in defence of democratic institutions.
“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative. We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement further read.
The ADC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against attempts to intimidate or silence opposition voices, emphasising that political participation and freedom of association are constitutional rights.
“The Constitution guarantees freedom of association, political participation and the right of citizens to freely choose their leaders. Those rights are not concessions from any government; they are constitutional guarantees that must be defended by all,” Abdullahi stated.
The party maintained that it would continue to resist what it described as attempts to undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and reaffirmed its commitment to working with all Nigerians determined to preserve democratic governance.
