One- Party State: Examine your internal process, Tinubu advises PDP, other parties

…says APC’s door open to aggrieved politicians

By Tunde Opalana

President Bola Tinubu has advised leadership of major opposition parties to expediently address internal squabbles that pushes members out of their parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu while addressing a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday in commemoration of the June 12 Democracy Day ruled out the tendency of the APC fostering a one party state on Nigeria.

The Daily Times recalled that the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently lost some notable politicians including two state governors and their state officials and lawmakers at the federal and state levels to the ruling APC.

President Tinubu reaffirmed his belief in a competitive multiparty democracy as essential to national development.

“At no time in the past, nor any instance in the present, and at no future junction shall I view the notion of a one-party state as good for Nigeria.

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“I will be the last person to advocate such a scheme.

“Our efforts must never be to eliminate political competition, but to make that competition beneficial to national well-being,” he said.

Citing example of he was a major opposition figure during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s administration prior to the 2015 general election, Tinubu said “in 2003, when the then governing party boasted of ruling Nigeria for 50 years, I stood alone.

” My allies had been induced into defeat, yet they could not control my destiny,” he recounted. “A greater power did not want Nigeria to become a one-party state back then. Nigeria will not become such a state now.”

Rather than blatantly accusing the ruling party of cohercing political figures from other party to join the APC, the president urged them to examine their process.

He however, said the door of the APC is widely open to welcome any politician who is dissatisfied with what is going on in their parties or those who are fascinated by the progress being made by the APC administration.

Tinubu said “we cannot blame anybody seeking to bail out of a sinking ship, even without a life jacket but I will not help you do so either. It is indeed a pleasure to witness you in such disarray.

“Nobody should close the door. Political parties fearful of members leaving should examine their internal processes rather than conjure demons that don’t exist.”