The National Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement and Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, has dismissed claims that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state, insisting that the emergence of multiple presidential aspirants across different political parties is proof that the country’s multiparty democracy remains intact.
Dantalle stated this on Monday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he also called for reforms to Nigeria’s Electoral Act and improvements in internal party democracy.
The IPAC chairman argued that the existence of several political parties actively preparing for future elections contradicts allegations that the ruling party is attempting to establish political dominance.
According to him, political parties across the country are independently pursuing their ambitions and presenting candidates for various elective positions.
“I think what you are saying is contradictory. My party is APM, there’s APC, there’s NDC, there’s SDP, there’s YPP, there’s NNPP, and everybody is running their race separately. They are all running their race separately,” he said.
Dantalle maintained that the growing number of presidential aspirants across political parties demonstrates that Nigeria remains a competitive democratic space.
“If you say Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state, how come we now have all these other candidates vying for respective individual political party political offices? Today, you have presidential candidates of not less than 10 that have emerged,” he stated.
He added that no single political party could successfully accommodate the country’s diverse interests and aspirations, noting that attempts to establish a one-party structure would eventually fail.
“Nigeria is too big for one party to accommodate the divergent interests and aspirations of Nigerians. No party can accommodate everybody. There will be an implosion in the end,” Dantalle said.
The APM chairman further stressed that political disagreements, defections and realignments were natural features of democracy and should not be interpreted as evidence of a shrinking democratic space.
“It is not a possibility. Anybody can try, but you can’t. Not in Nigeria. It is not possible,” he said while rejecting suggestions that the country was heading towards one-party rule.
Speaking on electoral reforms, Dantalle acknowledged that Nigeria’s electoral framework still requires significant improvements, particularly in the conduct of party primaries and candidate selection processes.
He, however, assured Nigerians that IPAC would continue to pursue reforms through lawful and democratic means.
“Yes, we have issues with the Electoral Act up till now. We still have issues, but what is important is IPAC will never be part of anything that will truncate democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
The IPAC chairman explained that the council was established to deepen democracy through advocacy, dialogue and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission and civil society organisations.
“IPAC as an institution is meant to deepen democracy with discussion, advocacy, intervention within the ambit of the law, and then bridging the gap between INEC, political parties, Nigerians and other related agencies and institutions,” he added.
Dantalle also expressed concern over what he described as irregularities in some party primary elections and consensus arrangements, warning that such practices could erode public confidence in the democratic process.
“We have seen reports this morning. Some people are disclaiming some of the activities called consensus candidacy, saying there was no election. These are issues that must be addressed,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to actively participate in the democratic process and reject vote buying during elections, stressing that citizens ultimately possess the power to determine the country’s political direction.
“If you are satisfied or not satisfied with the current composition of the National Assembly, come and vote them out. Elect who you want. Reject that evil called vote buying,” Dantalle said.
He concluded by calling for collective commitment to democratic values and electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“You have to love your country. Nobody will come and do it for us. We have another opportunity in 2027,” he said.
