By Mary Onyia
As Nigeria marked Democracy Day on June 12, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) launched a scathing attack on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of dismantling democratic structures and betraying the legacy of Chief MKO Abiola.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is orchestrating a dangerous descent into authoritarianism by suppressing democratic institutions and stifling opposition voices.
“The PDP is alarmed by the anti-democratic actions of the APC government, which continues to use compromised state apparatus to brazenly violate the Constitution, emasculate opposition, and manipulate democratic institutions,” Ologunagba said.
He accused the Tinubu-led government of deliberately weakening the independence of the National Assembly, the Judiciary, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in an alleged bid to consolidate power and establish a one-party state.
According to Ologunagba, “The APC has broken faith with the legacy of Chief MKO Abiola, whose heroic struggle for democracy we celebrate on June 12. The APC has eroded the values of freedom, justice, and credible elections that the date represents.”
“June 12 Democracy Day embodies the struggle by Nigerians against an oppressive, despotic, and lawless system driven by impunity, high-level deception, and reckless anti-people tendencies as being witnessed under the APC administration,” he added.
While President Tinubu, in his national broadcast, praised Nigerians for their resilience and vowed to deepen democratic governance, critics say his administration’s actions contradict that promise.
In his address, President Tinubu said: “Democracy is neither a foreign nor abstract concept devoid of real-life meaning for our people. Neither can it be a thing alien to us… We must build upon the foundations laid by those who came before us.”
He also pledged to uphold freedom, justice, and the rule of law, even as concerns grow over media clampdowns, economic hardship, and alleged political interference in state institutions.
The PDP, however, urged Nigerians, civil society groups, and international allies to resist what it described as “the APC’s plot to undermine democracy,” and called for vigilance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The PDP demands that the APC administration respects the memory of Chief Abiola, the law, and the sovereignty of the Nigerian people by adhering to the Principle of Separation of Powers, ending the intrusion in the activities of the National Assembly, INEC, and the Judiciary, and allowing for a free press,” Ologunagba stressed.
The opposition party concluded by calling on Nigerians to remain committed to democracy and join efforts to “rescue the nation from the stranglehold of the APC.”
“The PDP urges Nigerians not to allow the vicious plot of any individual or group to destroy their confidence in democracy but to remain law-abiding and continue to rally with the PDP as we reposition ahead of the 2027 elections,” the statement said.