The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has sparked controversy by suggesting that Nigeria could benefit from a one-party system.
Ganduje made the remarks after leading a delegation of three senators from Kebbi state to meet with President Bola Tinubu.
The three senators, Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki, had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. Ganduje cited China as an example of a successful one-party state, saying, “If a one-party state is a wish and blessing to Nigeria… a one-party state is not by force. One party’s state is by negotiation, and it is by other political parties seeing the effect of the positive governance of our party.”
Ganduje added, “If they decide to come to our party willingly, I think there is nothing wrong with that. You know they say too many cooks spoil the soup — too many political parties spoil governance.” He emphasized that the APC’s positive governance could attract more politicians to the party, potentially leading to a one-party system.
While Ganduje claimed that the APC is not actively working towards a one-party system, he suggested that if Nigerians desire it, the party would not oppose it. The APC chairman’s comments have raised questions about the future of Nigeria’s multiparty system and the implications of a potential shift towards a one-party state.