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By Perpetua Onuegbu
A democracy advocate, Mr Austin Aigbe, says alignment of several opposition party leaders with President Bola Tinubu does not pose any danger to democracy.
Aigbe, the Regional Advocacy Officer, West Africa Democracy Network, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.
The activist, a key member of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, argued that such political relationships could significantly strengthen bipartisan cooperation as a vital element for the ongoing development and maturity of Nigeria’s democracy.
His comments followed activities of prominent opposition leaders who accepted appointments as members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite maintaining formal membership in different political parties.
Addressing the situation, Aigbe distinguished between opposition parties as institutional entities and the individuals who currently head them.
He argued that several opposition leaders aligned with the ruling party for strategic reasons, describing them not as opposition parties but individuals leading opposition parties.
According to him, there is a clear and fundamental difference between a genuine, independent opposition party and an opposition party whose top leadership operates in direct alignment with the ruling party.
“For instance, it is a known fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike controls, is in direct alignment with President Tinubu.
“Such individual political alliances remain largely inconsequential when viewed at the level of state governance structures.”
He also said that the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition has chosen to support various political candidates across party lines based on their strategic alignment with the President.
“That is why you see in Rivers Wike is presenting two party candidates: a candidate for the APC and a candidate for the PDP,” he said.
Turning his attention to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Aigbe noted that President Tinubu has played a significant role in supporting Gov. Charlse Soludo’s political trajectory and success in Anambra.
He suggested that the President would naturally seek Soludo’s political backing in Anambra, given the political influence of Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate.
“Beyind that, Soludo was also brought on board because of Peter Obi, to help get more votes for the president in the state,” he explained.
Commenting on the Accord Party, Aigbe noted that Gov Ademola Adeleke of Osun recently secured a re-election victory under the party’s banner and publicly expressed gratitude to Tinubu for allowing his electoral victory.
He, however, questioned the feasibility of the governor’s promise to deliver 1.5 million votes to the President, given that he failed to achieve that total vote count during his own election.
“The vote he could not get, he wants to give to another person. That shows some level of insincerity in all of this bargaining,” he said.
Despite these political maneuverings and cross-party deals, Aigbe firmly maintained that such alliances do not pose a threat to the nation’s democratic structures but could foster bipartisan cooperation among political parties. (NAN)
Edited by Philip Yatai
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