Goodluck Jonathan Warns Against Backdoor One-Party State in Nigeria

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised concerns over what he described as subtle attempts to turn Nigeria into a one-party state through political manipulation, warning that such a move could trigger a national crisis.

On Wednesday, at a memorial lecture in Abuja honouring the late Edwin Clark, a revered Ijaw leader, Jonathan urged caution, emphasising that any transition to a single-party system must be deliberate, well-planned, and based on national consensus, not backroom deals.

The high-profile event drew prominent political figures and stakeholders from across the country. In his keynote address, Jonathan acknowledged that while some nations have successfully operated under a one-party system, such structures were often meticulously crafted to address specific historical or socio-political challenges.

“Yes, countries have practised a one-party system. It may not be evil after all,” Jonathan said. Citing the example of Tanzania under Julius Nyerere, he explained that the system was used to foster unity in a deeply diverse society, but was “properly planned, not by accident.”

He stressed that Nigeria, with its complex mix of ethnicities and religions, must not adopt a one-party framework through “the backdoor” or via manipulative tactics. “If we go through the back door by political manipulations, then we will be going into a crisis,” he warned.

Jonathan’s remarks come at a time of growing concern over the political landscape in Nigeria, as a wave of defections continues to hit opposition parties. In recent weeks, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, both formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Several other PDP stakeholders in the state followed suit.

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These defections have fueled speculation that the APC is consolidating power in a way that could edge Nigeria toward de facto one-party rule. This notion has sparked fierce debate on social media and in political circles.

However, the presidency has dismissed these concerns as unfounded. In a recent statement, officials described the claims that President Bola Tinubu is engineering a one-party state as “false, baseless, and exaggerated.”