The Labour Party has raised serious concerns over what it says are calculated efforts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken Nigeria’s democratic system by suppressing opposition voices and dominating the political space.
These accusations were made during the African Democratic Congress Global Award and Dinner Night held in Abuja on Monday.
Senator Nenadi Usman, the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, addressed attendees through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Eluma Asogwa. She stated that the ruling APC was making use of national institutions and government resources to stifle dissent and keep opposition parties under pressure.
Usman did not hold back in her criticism, claiming that the tactics used by the APC have gone beyond ordinary politics and are now threatening the country’s democratic foundation.
“Since the emergence of the APC as the ruling party, there has been a deliberate and relentless campaign to undermine the opposition,” she said. “Tactics range from infiltration and co-optation to judicial manipulation and intimidation through state institutions.”
She noted that a democratic society depends on a functioning and vibrant opposition. Without it, she warned, what remains is not true democracy, but a system controlled by one group without proper checks and balances.
In response, the APC’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, dismissed the Labour Party’s position. During a phone conversation with a correspondent, he described the coalition of opposition parties as unrealistic and disorganised.
“It’s just an association of internally displaced politicians,” he said. According to him, the idea of a unified opposition is simply a fantasy held by certain individuals.
Despite criticising APC’s methods, Usman also reflected on the failings within opposition groups themselves.
She pointed out that internal issues such as selfish ambitions, disunity, and a lack of shared vision have played a role in weakening the opposition. “While external interference from the APC has played a role, it is not the only culprit,” she said. “The opposition has too often been complicit in its weakening.”
She urged fellow opposition leaders to rise above personal interest and work together to present Nigerians with strong and dependable alternatives to the current leadership. Usman stressed that only a united and focused opposition could offer the nation hope and real choice.
Usman concluded her remarks with a caution to all political players, including the ruling party, about the dangers of a one-sided political system. “Even the APC, if it is wise, should understand that democracy dies not with a bang but with the silence of dissent,” she said.
