Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has condemned what he described as ongoing efforts to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), warning that any attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election would undermine Nigeria’s democracy and its international standing.
Adeyanju on Saturday said the alleged moves to deregister opposition parties expected to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next general election were unacceptable.
“The ongoing and unrelenting efforts to deregister the two major opposition political parties expected to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election is condemnable and is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.
Adeyanju argued that democracy thrives on robust political competition and warned against creating an environment where viable opposition parties are weakened or eliminated.
“No President should seek to govern in an atmosphere where viable political opposition is weakened or eliminated. President Tinubu does not need to go into the next election without credible challengers to secure a legitimate victory.
“If his administration has earned the confidence of Nigerians, it should be prepared to face every qualified political party at the ballot box. Legitimacy is strengthened by competition, not by the absence of it.”
The activist also cautioned that any action aimed at crippling opposition parties could have wider consequences for the country’s democratic image and economy.
“Those behind any actions designed to weaken or cripple the opposition, whether directly or indirectly, should remember that they do not merely damage political parties but risk damaging Nigeria’s international reputation.
“A nation that is perceived as shrinking its democratic space sends the wrong signal to investors and the global community.”
Adeyanju maintained that political parties have a constitutional right to exist, campaign and present themselves before the electorate, insisting that Nigerians alone should determine who governs the country.
“Nigeria’s democracy must never be reduced to a system where the outcome of elections appears predetermined by the weakening of political alternatives. Every lawful political party has a right to exist, to campaign and to test its popularity before the Nigerian people. It is the electorate who should decide who governs our country and nobody else.”
He called on political leaders and institutions to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic space by ensuring that all lawfully registered political parties are allowed to participate freely in the electoral process.
(The Whistler)
