President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday pushed back against allegations that he is plotting to emasculate opposition parties and steer Nigeria towards a one-party state, declaring that he neither wielded force nor suppressed dissent as claimed by critics.
Speaking during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said accusations that he was “killing the opposition” were unfounded and politically motivated.
“What they call you, any name, any nickname — critics must talk. When they accused me of killing opposition, I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence seeing as I have the authority,” Tinubu told the lawmakers.
The President’s remarks come amid persistent claims by opposition figures that the ruling All Progressives Congress is orchestrating defections and internal crises within rival parties to entrench dominance at the centre.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s security and economic challenges demand unity rather than political division, citing terrorism and banditry as threats requiring collective resolve.
“What we have faced in the challenging period of this country — the terrorism and banditry — is causing us havoc,” he said.
He urged political actors to reflect on the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers and strengthen constitutional democracy through cooperation instead of hostility.
“It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony,” he added.
The President also defended his administration’s sweeping economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and changes in the foreign exchange regime, insisting they were necessary to end what he described as “monumental corruption.”
“What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange,” he said.
Tinubu credited the National Assembly for supporting the reforms, noting that collaboration between the executive and legislature made the policy shifts possible.
According to him, the measures have stabilised the economy and positioned the country for recovery.
“You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you can see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud of this great moment,” he said.
Opposition Pushback
The President’s comments add to previous remarks in which he dismissed claims of a one-party agenda. During his 2025 Democracy Day address at a joint sitting of the National Assembly, Tinubu mocked opposition parties over their internal crises.
Parties including the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party have battled leadership disputes and high-profile defections, developments they allege were fuelled by the ruling party.
The opposition had accused the APC of attempting to weaken alternative platforms and shrink Nigeria’s democratic space — a claim Tinubu has repeatedly denied.
Reaffirming his stance, the President insisted that political pluralism remains intact, maintaining that defections into the APC were voluntary decisions by politicians seeking what he described as stability.
“It is not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship,” Tinubu had said at a previous party meeting, in reference to opposition realignments.
With political temperatures rising ahead of future electoral contests, Tinubu’s latest remarks signal a continuation of the rhetorical battle between the presidency and opposition blocs over the direction of Nigeria’s democracy.
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