The Allied Peoples Movement, APM, presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, charged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to stop causing crisis in opposition parties through the backdoor.
Makinde said the Federal Government should allow the opposition to thrive.
The Oyo State governor spoke during the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State.
Stressing that the founding fathers of Nigeria worked hard to ensure the creation of a multi-party system, Makinde wondered why the All Progressives Congress, APC, is afraid of the opposition.
Makinde insisted that Nigeria has no democracy if the country operates a one-party system.
He said: “So, the last pillar of the Reset Agenda is the socio-political environment, our forefathers worked really hard to give us federalism and multi-party democracy.
“But I don’t understand how a party in power with 31 governors and almost all the instrument of coercion and they are still afraid; they won’t allow the opposition to thrive.
“Go to Oyo State, whether you are in opposition or in the same party as the ruling party, the space is completely open, that is what we demand from the Federal Government.
“Stop using the backdoor to cause crisis for the opposition parties, there is no democracy if it’s a one-party system.”
He also charged the Federal Government to allow Nigerians to be productive and prosperous before taxing them.
The APM’s presidential candidate said the Federal Government can’t tax poverty.
“I have argued when I had the opportunity to speak at the National Economic Council meeting, I said please let the people be productive, when they are productive, they become prosperous; when they are prosperous, tax them but don’t tax poverty. So the Reset Agenda is for us to tax prosperity and not poverty,” he added.
