Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Mike Ozekhome, has raised alarm over what he describes as Nigeria’s steady slide toward authoritarian rule, cautioning that the country risks becoming a one-party state if current political trends persist.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme on Saturday, Ozekhome criticised the growing erosion of political ideology and the alarming frequency of defections among politicians, which he said reflect the weak foundation of Nigeria’s democratic culture.
“In a one-party state, dictatorship reigns supreme,” he warned. “The National Assembly will be pocketed, the judiciary pocketed, and everyone will simply say ‘yes, yes, yes,’” Ozekhome added.
Ozekhome likened Nigeria’s major political parties to variants of the same dish, “beans, akara, and moi-moi”, suggesting there is little to distinguish them ideologically.
He recalled how the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) once boasted of a 60-year rule, only to be ousted after 16 years.
He warned that the current administration under President Bola Tinubu risks similar overreach, especially with the growing consolidation of loyalists across key institutions.
Equally concerning, according to Ozekhome, is the increasing political apathy among citizens.
He compared this to a form of “Stockholm Syndrome,” where the oppressed begin to sympathise with their oppressors.
Calling for civic awakening, Ozekhome urged Nigerians to reclaim their democratic agency: “The power is yours; it is not theirs,” he said.
Copyright Notice:
All rights reserved. The content on this website, including text and other digital materials, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without the express written consent of THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.
For advertising inquiries, news coverage, or press releases, please contact us at thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or 08051017159, 08144048512.
Post a Comment