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Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has condemned the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allegedly enabling anti-democratic forces and pushing Nigeria toward a dangerous one-party system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Adeyanju warned that recent developments within Nigeria’s political space signal a coordinated effort by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to weaken opposition parties and stifle democratic competition.
“I call on the President to urgently rein in all anti-democratic forces operating within and around his government, including those using the courts to frustrate the opposition and prevent them from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
“These actions are fundamentally undemocratic and must be halted.
“The President must recognise that those advising him that a strong opposition threatens his chances of re-election are, in fact, his greatest enemies.”
Adeyanju further alleged that systematic attempts to destabilise opposition parties are already underway, raising fears of an orchestrated political consolidation by the APC.
“The sustained efforts to weaken opposition parties, first the PDP and now the ADC, raise serious concerns about an emerging attempt to impose a one-party state,” he stated.
“Such actions pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s democracy and long-term stability, and risk undermining public confidence in our democratic institutions. The international community and critical stakeholders are watching closely.”
He also called on elder statesmen to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.
“I also call on all former Presidents and statesmen to rise to this moment and speak out,” he said. “This is a defining time for our democracy, and all well-meaning Nigerians must stand firmly against any attempt to erode pluralism and democratic choice.”
Adeyanju’s warning comes amid a growing wave of high-profile defections from opposition parties to the APC, a trend that has intensified political tension across the country.
In recent months, several prominent politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party have defected to the ruling party.
The defections have sparked allegations that state institutions, including the judiciary, are being weaponised to weaken opposition structures, particularly through protracted leadership crises and legal battles that have left parties like the PDP, LP and ADC internally fractured.
Critics argue that the pattern mirrors a broader strategy to consolidate political power ahead of 2027 by neutralising viable opposition platforms, thereby creating an uneven playing field.
While the presidency has repeatedly denied claims of authoritarian tendencies, opposition figures and civil society actors insist that recent political developments suggest otherwise.
Analysts point to the increasing number of opposition governors, lawmakers, and party leaders aligning with the APC as evidence of mounting pressure within Nigeria’s political ecosystem.
Despite the growing concerns, the presidency maintains that defections are part of normal democratic realignments and reflect confidence in the government’s policies.
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